title: Staphylococci in orthopaedic surgical wounds.
abstract: From 50 infected surgical wounds of orthopaedic patients, 43 (86%) staphylococcal strains were isolated. 34 of all these staphylococci belonged to Staphylococcus aureus species (i.e. 68 % of all isolates from surgical wounds; 79% of staphylococcal isolates); 9 were coagulase-negative staphylococci (i.e. 21% of all isolates from surgical wounds; 18% of staphylococcal isolates). Among microorganisms isolated from the wounds we also found 2 (4%) of the Enterobacteriaceae family; 2 (4%) of the Pseudomonas genus; 3 (6%) of the Streptococcus genus. Thus, orthopaedic surgical wounds were infected by staphylococci (mainly S. aureus) more frequently than by other micro-organisms. All the staphylococcal strains were screened for methicillin resistance by agar disk diffusion testing and for the presence of mecA gene responsible for methicillin resistance by PCR. 32% of the S. aureus and 33% of the S. epidermidis strains resulted methicillin resistant and mecA-positive. The data confirm the diffusion of methicillin resistant S. aureus in surgical site infections and shows that the so-called "new pathogens", i.e. S. epidermidis and other coagulase-negative staphylococci, also exhibit a frequent and hazardous methicillin-resisting ability.
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory on Biocompatibility of Implant Material, Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Arciola
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cervellati
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pirini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gamberini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Montanaro
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures; D015995:Prevalence; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*