[Has the rate of resistant staphylococci increased recently? (author's transl)]

In clinical material sent to the Clinic for Chemotherapy and the Institute of Hygiene of Vienna University between 1973 and 1978, Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 0.9-2.3% and 4.2-11.9% respectively. The rate of resistance of the clinic material to oxacillin increased from 0.8 to 16.0%, to cephalothin from 3.3 to 30.5%, to gentamicin from 0.0 to 43.3%, and to erythromycin from 0.8 to 40.2%. In material sent to the Institute of Hygiene the rate of resistance to oxacillin was stable at 13.8%, and to cephalothin remained fairly constant at 2.4%. On the other hand, the rate of resistance to gentamicin increased from 0.5 to 48.5%, and to erythromycin from 19.8 to 56.9%. The reasons for these alarming increases in resistance and the conclusions which should be drawn are discussed.