All issues > Volume 32(12); 1989

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1989;32(12):1661-1668. Published online December 31, 1989.

A Clinical Study of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus.

Young Mok Hwang¹, Jae Youn Kim¹, Soon Wha Kim¹, Myoung Ik Lee¹, Keun Chan Sohn¹, Kyeung Eun Jung²

¹Department of Pediatrics, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Bacteriology, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea

Received: September 30, 1989;  Accepted: September 30, 1989.

Abstract

We studied about antimicrobial susceptibilities of MRSA and isolation rate of MRSA according to culture site among 656 Staphylococcus aureuses which were isolated from various specimens of admitted patients and out-patients in pediatric departmet of National Medical Center during the period from July, 1983 to June, 1988, and clinical observation of 32 invasive infections caused by either MSSA or MRSA was performed. The results were as follows: 1) The number of MRSA was 211(32.2%) among 656 Staphylococcus aureuses. 2) According to culture site, the isolation rate of MRSA was 73.0% from gastric juice, 66.7% from endotracheal suction and 55.9% from eye discharge, in the order of frequency. 3) Among clinically significant culture site, the isolation rate of MRSA was 32.0% from blood, 25. 6% from pus and 16.7% from joint aspiration. 4) The clinical diagnoses of invasive infections caused by MRSA or MSSA were emyema (7 cases), sepsis (7 cases), cellulitis (6 cases), pyogenic arthritis (4 cases), abscess (4 cases), osteomyelitis (3 cases) and hydrocephalus (1 cases). The proportion of invasive infection caused by MRSA was 18.7%(6 cases). 5) The MRSA strain which was isolated from children with invasive infection was susceptible to amikacin as 83%, cephalothin as 67%, chloramphenicol as 67% and cefotaxime 50%, respectively. 6) The MSSA strain which was isolated from children with invasive infection was all susceptible to cephalothin. 7) Among MRSA strains (6 cases) isolated from children with invasive infection, 2 cases were multiply resistant to cephalothin, chloramphenicol, cefotaxime, gentamicin, kanamicin and tetracy- cline.

Keywords :Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus