[Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated in hospitals in Fukuoka City area]

Bacteriological and clinical studies were carried out on 280 strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated in hospitals in Fukuoka city area from September 1990 to March 1991. Of all S. aureus strains studied 116 (41.4%) were methicillin-resistant. The proportion of MRSA in S. aureus isolates from outpatients was 10% (11/109), 69.2% (90/130) in those from inpatients. The average age of patients with isolated MRSA was 70.5 +/- 16.9 years and that of patients with isolated MSSA, 44.2 +/- 29.3. MRSA strains were recovered mainly from sputum and pus. The isolation rate did not vary significantly with hospitals of different size (number of beds). Of all MRSA strains 48 (41.3%) produced coagulase type VII. As for drug susceptibility, MRSA strains with coagulase type VII were more sensitive to clindamycin and more resistant to minocyclin compared to MRSA with other coagulase types.