The continuing importance of staphylococci as major hospital pathogens

Rates of hospital-acquired staphylococcal infection have risen substantially in the United States over the last decade. Moreover, it has been shown that bloodstream infections caused by these organisms account for significant morbidity and mortality. It is likely that the changes in medical practice and in types of patient account for these changes, and current antibiotic therapy has helped select more resistant organisms. The increasing use of implantable and temporary medical devices and the increased use of immunosuppressive therapies correlate strongly with the rising incidence of these organisms. Likewise, more patients are predisposed to these infections because of poor immune status and factors favouring colonization. Intrinsic microbiological factors such as glycocalyx production and the presence of bacterial surface proteins allow these organisms to adhere to protein coated foreign bodies and basement membranes thus enabling them to initiate infection and cause disease. Moreover, virulence factors such as encapsulation, slime production and elaboration of extracellular enzymes aid their resistance to host defences. As a group, staphylococci are a leading cause of hospital-acquired infection, and species identification is required for both treatment and control.