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Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
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Staphylococcus aureus still colonizes the untreated neonatal umbilicus

M Watkinson1, A Dyas

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, Solihull Hospital, UK.

The Journal of Hospital Infection
|June 1, 1992
PubMed

Two different neonatal umbilical cord treatment regimens were studied prospectively. Although a greater proportion of cords had separated by the seventh day in those babies not treated with topical antiseptics (47% vs. 26%), there was a significant excess (53% vs. 30%) of umbilical colonization by Staphylococcus aureus compared to those neonates whose cords were treated with alcohol wipes and hexachlorophane powder. The main purpose of treating cords is to prevent significant S. aureus colonization, and therefore current proposals to stop antiseptic treatment of umbilical cords should be disregarded.

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