Biomedical Research

The incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection is increasing world-wide. Vancomycin is one of the drug of choice for MRSA infection. The resistance to vancomycin in Staph. aureus, which was once thought to be very less, is also on a rise.So the present study aimed to find out the prevalence rate of MRSA infection and vancomycin resistance in patients admitted to orthopaedic wards. We analysed the data of patients admitted for orthopaedic care in a medical college hospital requiring bacterial culture-sensitivity study for either a suspected or an obvious infection between September 2007 and August 2009 in a retrospective observational study. The specimens were collected by either sterile cotton swab stick, an aspirate or the tissue obtained at surgery. The specimens were studied as per the standard protocol of the institute to note the organism grown and sensitivity to antibiotics. There were 1207 admissions to orthopaedic wards between September 2007 and August 2009.A total of 131 specimens collected from 115 patients were studied, yielding 81growths. Staph. aureus was isolated in 38 specimens of which 24(63%) were MRSA and 6(25%) of these MRSA were resistant to vancomycin. The prevalence of MRSA infection was 1.99 % ( 24/1207) and that of vancomycin resistant Staph. aureus infection was 1.07% (13/1207) of total orthopaedic admissions. The prevalence rate of MRSA infection and development of resistance to vancomycin is alarmingly high. There is need for increased awareness regarding incidence, pathogenicity, preventive and treatment measures of MRSA.

Author(s): Shiddanna M. Patted, Surekharani Chinagudi, Venkatesh R Soragavi, Sushruth B Bhavi
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