Biomaterial Database

Investigation and elimination of epidemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a neonatal intensive care unit. 1993

C C Liu, and L I Hor, and Y H Wu, and A H Huang, and C H Lin, and Y C Chuang

Department of Pediatrics, National Cheng Kung University Medical College and Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan, R.O.C.

A recent outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in a teaching hospital was investigated. A total of 25 MRSA isolates, 16 from the patients and nine from the staffs (carriers), was collected for the study. The possible relationship among the isolates was investigated by using antibiograms and restriction enzyme analysis of plasmid DNA. Control strategy of the MRSA nosocomial infection was proposed after the study of antibiograms and plasmid profile. There were four plasmid patterns (I-IV), each containing 7, 8, 2, and 8 isolates. Six of the 16 isolates from the patients had identical plasmid patterns as the carriers (I and II). Person to person transfer via hand contact by medical personnel was found to be the most frequent mode of transmission identified in the outbreak of MRSA nosocomial infection in the NICU. Our strategy for control of the outbreak and elimination of the MRSA from all patients and carriers was successful after intensive surveillance and control measures. These included (a) strict isolation and cohorting; (b) hand washing between patient contacts to prevent transmission; (c) treatment of the carrier state in health care workers and patients with safe and effective topical agents such as mupirocin.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D007363	Intensive Care Units, Neonatal	Hospital units providing continuing surveillance and care to acutely ill newborn infants.	Neonatal Intensive Care Unit,Neonatal Intensive Care Units,Newborn Intensive Care Unit,Newborn Intensive Care Units,ICU, Neonatal,Neonatal ICU,Newborn ICU,Newborn Intensive Care Units (NICU),ICU, Newborn,ICUs, Neonatal,ICUs, Newborn,Neonatal ICUs,Newborn ICUs
D010957	Plasmids	Extrachromosomal, usually CIRCULAR DNA molecules that are self-replicating and transferable from one organism to another. They are found in a variety of bacterial, archaeal, fungal, algal, and plant species. They are used in GENETIC ENGINEERING as CLONING VECTORS.	Episomes,Episome,Plasmid
D003428	Cross Infection	Any infection which a patient contracts in a health-care institution.	Hospital Infections,Nosocomial Infections,Health Care Associated Infection,Health Care Associated Infections,Healthcare Associated Infections,Infection, Cross,Infections, Hospital,Infections, Nosocomial,Cross Infections,Healthcare Associated Infection,Hospital Infection,Infection, Healthcare Associated,Infection, Hospital,Infection, Nosocomial,Infections, Cross,Infections, Healthcare Associated,Nosocomial Infection
D004196	Disease Outbreaks	Sudden increase in the incidence of a disease. The concept includes EPIDEMICS and PANDEMICS.	Outbreaks,Infectious Disease Outbreaks,Disease Outbreak,Disease Outbreak, Infectious,Disease Outbreaks, Infectious,Infectious Disease Outbreak,Outbreak, Disease,Outbreak, Infectious Disease,Outbreaks, Disease,Outbreaks, Infectious Disease
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013203	Staphylococcal Infections	Infections with bacteria of the genus STAPHYLOCOCCUS.	Infections, Staphylococcal,Staphylococcus aureus Infection,Staphylococcal Infection,Staphylococcus aureus Infections
D013211	Staphylococcus aureus	Potentially pathogenic bacteria found in nasal membranes, skin, hair follicles, and perineum of warm-blooded animals. They may cause a wide range of infections and intoxications.
D015183	Restriction Mapping	Use of restriction endonucleases to analyze and generate a physical map of genomes, genes, or other segments of DNA.	Endonuclease Mapping, Restriction,Enzyme Mapping, Restriction,Site Mapping, Restriction,Analysis, Restriction Enzyme,Enzyme Analysis, Restriction,Restriction Enzyme Analysis,Analyses, Restriction Enzyme,Endonuclease Mappings, Restriction,Enzyme Analyses, Restriction,Enzyme Mappings, Restriction,Mapping, Restriction,Mapping, Restriction Endonuclease,Mapping, Restriction Enzyme,Mapping, Restriction Site,Mappings, Restriction,Mappings, Restriction Endonuclease,Mappings, Restriction Enzyme,Mappings, Restriction Site,Restriction Endonuclease Mapping,Restriction Endonuclease Mappings,Restriction Enzyme Analyses,Restriction Enzyme Mapping,Restriction Enzyme Mappings,Restriction Mappings,Restriction Site Mapping,Restriction Site Mappings,Site Mappings, Restriction
D016106	Methicillin Resistance	Non-susceptibility of a microbe to the action of METHICILLIN, a semi-synthetic penicillin derivative.	Methicillin-Resistant,Methicillin Resistant,Resistance, Methicillin