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Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in U.S. Hospitals, 1975–1991

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2016

Adelisa L. Panlilio ,
David H. Culver ,
Robert P. Gaynes ,
Shailen Banerjee ,
Tonya S. Henderson ,
James S. Tolson ,
William J. Martone  and
National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System
Adelisa L. Panlilio
Affiliation:
Hospital Infections Program, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia
David H. Culver
Affiliation:
Hospital Infections Program, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia
Robert P. Gaynes*
Affiliation:
Hospital Infections Program, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia
Shailen Banerjee
Affiliation:
Hospital Infections Program, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia
Tonya S. Henderson
Affiliation:
Hospital Infections Program, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia
James S. Tolson
Affiliation:
Hospital Infections Program, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia
William J. Martone
Affiliation:
Hospital Infections Program, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia
*
Hospital Infections Program, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, U.S. Public Health Service, Dept. of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA 30333
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Abstract

Objectives:

Analyze changes that have occurred among U.S. hospitals over a 17-year period, 1975 through 1991, in the percentage of Staphylococcus aureus resistant to b-lactam antibiotics and associated with nosocomial infections.

Design:

Retrospective review. The percentage of methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) was defined as the number of S aureus isolates resistant to either methicillin, oxacillin, or nafcillin divided by the total number of S aureus isolates for which methicillin, oxacillin, or nafcillin susceptibility test results were reported to the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) System.

Setting:

NNIS System hospitals.

Results:

Of the 66,132 S aureus isolates that were tested for susceptibility to methicillin, oxacillin, or nafcillin during 1975 through 1991, 6,986 (11%) were resistant to methicillin, oxacillin, or nafcillin. The percentage MRSA among all hospitals rose from 2.4% in 1975 to 29% in 1991, but the rate of increase differed significantly among 3 bed-size categories: <200 beds, 200 to 499 beds, and 2500 beds. In 1991, for hospitals with <200 beds, 14.9% of S aureus isolates were MRSA, for hospitals with 200 to 499 beds, 20.3% were MRSA; and for hospitals with >500 beds, 38.3% were MRSA. The percentage MRSA in each of the bed-size categories rose above 5% at different times: in 1983, for hospitals with 2500 beds; in 1985, for hospitals with 200 to 499 beds; and in 1987, for hospitals with <200 beds.

Conclusions:

This study suggests that hospitals of all sizes are facing the problem of MRSA, the problem appears to be increasing regardless of hospital size, and control measures advocated for MRSA appear to require re-evaluation. Further study of MRSA in hospitals would benefit our understanding of this costly pathogen.

Information

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 13 , Issue 10 , October 1992 , pp. 582 - 586
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1992 

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