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 Original Articles |
| Molecular Epidemiology and Infection Control of an Outbreak due to Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit |
| Seong Hee Lee, Jae-Sim Jeong**, Sun Joo Ryu**, Yang Soo Kim*, Jiso Ryu*, Chik Hyun Pai |
| Department of Clinical Pathology, Internal Medicine*, Infection Control Office**, University of Ulsan College of Medicine and Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea |
Vol.28 Num.2 (p143~150)
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Background : Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA)is an important cause of nosocomial infection with this oragnism can result in considerable morbidity and mortality despite intensive care. Between march and September 1995, 15 episodes of MRSA bacteremia occurred in 13 patients in the neonatal intensive care unit(NICU), which was successfully controlled with the aid of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis(PFGE) for molecular typing of the isolates.
Methods : A total of 16 strains of MRSA isolated from 11 patients were typed for antibiogram by microdilution method and chromosomal patterns by PFGE. Infection control measures included in-service teaching sessions, cohorting of patients and nursing staff, and meticulous hand washing.
Results : Six patterns of antibiograms and 7 patterns of DNA types were identified in 16 strains indicating the diversity of the outbreak strains. Only one additional episode of MRSA bacteremia occurred in 4 months since the introduction of control measures.
Conclusion : The diversity of chromosomal DNA patterns suggested that new strains of MRSA were introduced continuously into the NICU and the infection control measures to prevent its introduction into the NICU were successful in reducing MRSA infection in the unit. Chromosomal DNA typing by PFGE is reproducible and descriminatory, and the which is found very useful in the molecular epidemiologic studies of mosocomial infections.
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Keywords : Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA), Molecular epidemiology, Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis(PFGE), Neonatal intensive care unit(NICU), Infection control |
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