HIGH-RATE OF OXACILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS ISOLATES IN ANITALIAN UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

We reviewed our routine clinical laboratory records from January 1990 to March 1993 to evaluate the rate of oxacillin-resistance among nosoc omial isolates of Staphylococcus aureus Of 265 clinically significant isolates, 174 (65%) were oxacillin-resistant S. aureus (ORSA). Most of these strains were obtained from surgery patients and/or were isolate d from surgical wounds. The isolations of S. aureus increased during t he study period: 45 in 1990, 50 in 1991, 130 in 1992 and 40 in the fir st trimester of 1993. The annual rates of ORSA among S. aureus isolate d varied from 62 to 68% through these years. Most ORSA isolates proved resistant to ciprofloxacin, gentamicin and rifampicin, and susceptibl e to vancomycin, netilmicin and cotrimoxazole. Based on these results, the need for a stringent application of infection control measures is outlined.