Journal Article

Preventing Surgical-Site Infections in Nasal Carriers of Staphylococcus aureus

Voss, Andreas, Bogaers, Diana, Bode, Lonneke G.M, Vandenbroucke-Grauls, Christina M.J.E, Verbrugh, Henri A, Kluytmans, Jan A.J.W, Box, Adrienne T.A, van der Tweel, Ingeborg, Vos, Margreet C, Troelstra, Annet, Roosendaal, Robert, van Belkum, Alex, Wertheim, Heiman F.L

2010

Overview

Staphylococcus aureus is an important cause of surgical-site infections. In this randomized trial, eradication of colonization by rapid screening at admission and subsequent decolonization (with intranasal mupirocin and chlorhexidine skin washes) were associated with a decrease in postoperative surgical-site infections. In this randomized trial, eradication of colonization with S. aureus by rapid screening at admission and subsequent decolonization (with intranasal mupirocin and chlorhexidine skin washes) were associated with a decrease in postoperative surgical-site infections. Nasal carriers of high numbers of Staphylococcus aureus organisms have a risk of health care–associated infection with this microorganism that is three to six times the risk among noncarriers and low-level carriers. 1 – 3 More than 80% of health care–associated S. aureus infections are endogenous. 4 – 6 Intranasal application of mupirocin has been shown to be effective for the decolonization of this microbe and the prevention of invasive S. aureus infections in patients receiving long-term dialysis treatment. 7 – 10 However, in other nonsurgical patients, mupirocin had no effect on the rate of health care–associated S. aureus infections. 11 Mupirocin nasal ointment was reported to . . .

• Publisher: Massachusetts Medical Society
• Subject: Administration, Intranasal / Anti-Infective Agents - adverse effects / Anti-Infective Agents - therapeutic use / Bacteriology / Biological and medical sciences / Carrier State - drug therapy / Cause of Death / Chlorhexidine / Chlorhexidine - adverse effects / Chlorhexidine - therapeutic use / Clinical trials / Cross Infection - prevention & control / Double-Blind Method / Fees & charges / Female / General aspects / Heart surgery / Hospital Mortality / Hospitalization / Hospitals / Human infectious diseases. Experimental studies and models / Humans / Infectious diseases / Internal medicine / Kaplan-Meier Estimate / Length of Stay / Logistic Models / Male / Medical sciences / Methicillin / Middle Aged / Mortality / Motivation / Mupirocin / Mupirocin - adverse effects / Mupirocin - therapeutic use / Nasal Cavity - microbiology / Nosocomial infection / Nosocomial infections / Ointments / Patients / Polymerase Chain Reaction / Prevention and actions / Public health. Hygiene / Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine / Skin - microbiology / Soaps - therapeutic use / Staphylococcal Infections - prevention & control / Staphylococcus aureus / Staphylococcus aureus - genetics / Staphylococcus aureus - isolation & purification / Staphylococcus infections / Surgery / Surgical site infections / Surgical Wound Infection - prevention & control