Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as a cause of nosocomial wound infections

Postoperative wound infections represent about 16% of hospital-acquired infections. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common cause of nosocomial wound infections. Increased frequency of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in hospitalized patients and possibility of vancomycin resistance requires permanent control of MRSA spread in the hospital.The purpose of this study was to analyse the frequency of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the swabs taken from the surgical wounds, the presence of MRSA infection in surgical departments and to examine antimicrobial susceptibility of MRSA isolates. Wound swabs were examined from January 2006 to December 2008. The isolates were identified by conventional methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by Kirby-Bauer disc-diffusion method as per NCCLS guidelines.A total of 5755 wound swabs were examined: 938 (16,3%) swabs were sterile and 4817 (83,7%) were positive. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated in 1050 (22,0%) swabs and it was the most common cause of wound infections. MRSA was isolated from 12,4% samples in 2006, from 6,7% samples in 2007 and from 3,7% samples during 2008. Wound infections caused by MRSA dominated in the department of plastic surgery (24,4%) and in the department of orthopaedic surgery (24,1%). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed that 73% of MRSA isolates were with the same antibiotic sensitivity pattern (antibiotyp)-sensitive only to vancomycin, tetracycline, fucid acid and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxasole. Our results show decreasing of MRSA infection in the surgical wards. These results appear to be maintained with strategies for preventing nosocomial infection: permanent education, strong application of protocols and urging the implementation of strict infection control policy.