[The MRSA patient in technical orthopaedics and rehabilitation]. / Das Problem der MRSA-Infektionen bei der Behandlung des Diabetischen Fusssyndroms. Teil 1: Charakterisierung eines Patientenkollektivs.

Colonisation and infection of humans by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was examined retrospectively at the Clinic of Technical Orthopedics and Rehabilitation of the University Clinic at Münster (Germany). The cohort consisted of 28 patients who over the period were microbiologically shown to harbour MRSA from January 1997 to June 2000. Out of these, only 16 patients were colonised and only 12 patients developed MRSA infection. The inpatient stay was longer for MRSA subjects than for non-MRSA subjects. All patients had chronic wound healing disorders of the lower extremities which were due to peripheral neuropathies, diabetes mellitus and/or obstructive disease of the arteries. All patients were at risk for colonisation with MRSA.

[The MRSA patient in technical orthopaedics and rehabilitation. Part 2: Hygiene management]. / Das Problem der MRSA-Infektionen bei der Behandlung des Diabetischen Fusssyndroms. Teil 2: Hygienemanagement.

One of the multiresistant pathogens is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA),which was increasingly found in the 1980's. In the USA, the ratio of MRSA rose from 2% in 1975 to 29% in 1991. A similarly steep rise was seen in Germany, with the Paul Ehrlich Society for Chemotherapy reporting a rise from 1.7% in 1990 to 15.7% in 1998. In order to control MRSA, the Clinic and Polyclinic of Technical Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at the University Clinic Münster, Germany,has set up a comprehensive hygiene management programme for early detection and treatment of nosocomial infections. In addition to addressing the usual problems of MRSA carriers (e.g., higher mortality, longer hospital stays, stigmatisation), these preventive measures are also aimed at combating MRSA-caused cost increases.