Use of mupirocin-chlorhexidine treatment to prevent Staphylococcus aureus surgical-site infections

Evaluation of: Bode LGM, Kluytmans JAJW, Wertheim HFL et al.: Preventing surgical-site infections in nasal carriers of Staphylococcus aureus. N. Engl. J. Med. 362, 9-17 (2010). Staphylococcus aureus is the main pathogen responsible for surgical-site infections and nasal carriage is a major risk factor for subsequent infection with this bacteria. Mupirocin is considered to be the topical antibacterial agent of choice for eradication of nasal S. aureus. The paper by Bode et al. provides strong evidence that the combination of a rapid identification of a S. aureus nasal carrier, mupirocin nasal ointment and chlorhexidine gluconate soap, significantly reduces the rate of S. aureus surgical-site infection by nearly 60%. In conclusion, mupirocin nasal ointment use in S. aureus carriers before surgery has numerous advantages with few side effects.