STUDIES ON THE ISOLATION AND YEARLY CHANGES OF METHICILLIN-RESISTANT S. AUREUS AT GUNMA UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Abstract

A 13-years survey on drug-resistant S. aureus isolated in the microbiological section of the Clinical Laboratory Center of Gunma University Hospital from 1977 to 1989 is summarized. The frequency of methicillin-resistant S.aureus (MRSA) was less than 10% until 1987, but it began to increase greatly after 1988. More than 50% of S.aureus isolated in 1989 were MRSA. MRSA were common in inpatients, particularly those in the surgical departments. Another feature of MRSA isolated in recent yearn is their tendency to be resistant to multiple drugs : 18% of MRSA isolated in 1989 were resistant to 5 drugs.