Usefulness of teicoplanin for preventing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in orthopedic surgery

• Published in: European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases 2006, Vol.25 (1), p.35-38
• Main Authors: SORIANO, A, POPESCU, D, GARCIA, S, BORI, G, MARTINEZ, J. A, BALASSO, V, MARCO, F, ALMELA, M, MENSA, J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged, 80 and over; Anti-Bacterial Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotic Prophylaxis - methods; Antibiotic Prophylaxis - standards; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Bacterial diseases; Biological and medical sciences; Bone surgery; Carrier State - drug therapy; Carrier State - epidemiology; Carrier State - prevention & control; Cefuroxime - administration & dosage; Cefuroxime - pharmacology; Cefuroxime - therapeutic use; Cohort Studies; Comorbidity; Cross Infection - drug therapy; Cross Infection - epidemiology; Cross Infection - prevention & control; Disease prevention; Drug Therapy, Combination; Emergency medical care; Epidemics; Female; Femoral Neck Fractures - complications; Femoral Neck Fractures - surgery; Fractures; Hospitals; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Methicillin Resistance - drug effects; Nosocomial infections; Orthopedic surgery; Orthopedics; Orthopedics - methods; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Prevalence; Prophylaxis; Spain - epidemiology; Staphylococcal Infections - drug therapy; Staphylococcal Infections - epidemiology; Staphylococcal Infections - prevention & control; Staphylococcal infections, streptococcal infections, pneumococcal infections; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Staphylococcus infections; Surgeons; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgical site infections; Teicoplanin - administration & dosage; Teicoplanin - pharmacology; Teicoplanin - therapeutic use; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0934-9723; 1435-4373
• DOI: 10.1007/s10096-005-0073-z

In order to gather more data on the use of teicoplanin for reducing MRSA infections in high-risk populations, the present study was conducted. At a hospital in Barcelona, Spain, there was a high prevalence of MRSA infections among patients who underwent surgery for femoral neck fracture during the first 5 months of 2002 (period A) when cefuroxime was the antibiotic prophylaxis. During the following 12 months (period B) 600 mg of teicoplanin was added to cefuroxime. The rates of overall and MRSA infection during period A were 5.07 and 2.73%, respectively. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis demonstrated there was no clonal relationship among MRSA strains. No nasal carriers of MRSA were detected among health workers. During period B the rates of overall and MRSA infection were 2.36 and 0.19%, respectively. Both rates were statistically significantly lower than those in period A (p