Epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus at a university hospital in the Canary Islands.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) at a university hospital in Tenerife, Canary Islands, during a 40-month period and to evaluate the effectiveness of the application of control measures.


METHODS
Laboratory-based surveillance, medical charts and microbiological records review, and characterization of strains by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were used to describe the epidemiology. Infection control practices were introduced as an intervention.


METHODS
A 650-bed, tertiary-care university hospital.


METHODS
Patients with clinical and nasal isolates of MRSA and colonized staff members.


RESULTS
The rate of nosocomial MRSA infections was 32.5% for 1997, 17.9% for 1998, 14.5% for 1999, and 25.6% during the first 4 months of 2000. The major sites of isolation for nosocomial MRSA infection included surgical wounds (25%) and the lower respiratory tract (24%). Intensive care units and surgical specialties had more frequent MRSA cases. Characteristics associated with nosocomial MRSA isolates included prior use of intensive antibiotic therapy, prolonged hospital stays, major underlying illness, invasive procedures, and older age. PFGE type A (subtype A1) was the strain most frequently found and the only PFGE type involved in clusters.


CONCLUSIONS
Surveillance cultures and contact droplet precautions were followed by decreased rates for 2 years. Nevertheless, the spread of PFGE subtype A1 to many different areas of the hospital and the increase in incidence during the first third of 2000 indicates either that surveillance cultures were not used widely enough or that compliance with isolation measures was suboptimal.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003428:Cross Infection; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection