Abstract
Outbreak of MRSA infection in relation to the use of antibiotics was studied over four six-month periods from January 1990 to December 1991. Antibiotics classifications were: Penicillin; first and second-generation cephem; third-generation cephem; fourth-generation cephem; other-β lactams; aminoglycoside; others. When compared with the first period, the total amount of antibiotics in each period decreased to 67% in the second, 68% in the third and 59% in the fourth, which paralleled the decrease in new MRSA infection cases in each period, from 38 in the first to 20 in the second, 21 in the third and 13 in the fourth. The decrease of the third-generation cephem to 20% in the fourth period from the first was particularly noticeable. The fourth-generation cephem also decreased remarkably in the second period, but increased in the third and fourth periods. The amount of antibiotics in the “others” group remained constant, resulting in their proportionate increase in the total amount used from 22% in the first period to 35% in the fourth. Of the 34 cases of MRSA infection in the third and fourth periods, 11 were suspected to have been brought in from outside. It appears that inter-institutional communication for patients changing hospitals is a vital subject that has yet to be discussed in preventing MRSA infection in hospitals.
