Frenay HME ,
Klingeren B van ,
Leeuwen WJ van ,
Verheuvel M ,
Rost JA
16 p
in Dutch
1990
Toon Nederlands
English Abstract A surveillance study on methicillin resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the Netherlands was started in January 1989
by the National Institute of Public Health & Environmental Protection (RIVM)
in Bilthoven. Twenty-nine laboratories sent about 150 MRSA-isolates of
patients and personnel in 1989. These isolates were phagetyped by the
Laboratory for Bacteriology and M.I.C.-values for about 14 antibiotics were
determined in the Laboratory for Chemotherapy. Thirty-two phagetypes were
found of which twenty phagetypes were isolated only once. Of the more
frequent phagetypes, expecially phagetypes "g" and "e", were by far most
prevalent, being isolated fifty and fifty-five times respectively. Both
phagetypes were associated with hospital epidemics in the Netherlands in and
before 1989. Almost all MRSA- isolates were multiresistant strains. One
third of the isolates was resistant to rifampicin, and only one fourth of
MRSA-isolates was resistant to cotrimoxazole. All isolates were sensitive
to fusidic acid and vancomycin. Introduction of a MRSA-strain into a Dutch
hospital is often associated with transfer of patients, who have been nursed
in a foreign hospital. They have been colonized with an "endemic"
MRSA-strain in this hospital. Strict isolation procedures of these patients
in Dutch hospitals are necessary till repeated routine cultures are negative
for MRSA. In case of interhospital transfer of MRSA-poitive patients, good
communication between the hospitals concerned is important. Multiresistant
staphylococci are a serious problem in hospital epidemiology and treatment
of associated infections.
