Strategy to control methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus post-operative infection in orthopaedic surgery.

In the year 2000 the rate of infection after arthroplasty in our hospital was 9.75% and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was the organism in 33% of the infected joints. In an attempt to overcome this unacceptable situation, we changed our prophylaxis regime over a period of 6 months. This involved modifying the precautionary measures for preventing surgical infections, active prophylaxis against any nasal reservoir of infection in joint implant patients, the control of health care personnel, the strict application of standard and contact precautions in all patients with MRSA, and the use of teicoplanin as prophylaxis during this 6-month period. This resulted in a definite decrease in the incidence of orthopaedic wound infections by MRSA, while the level of MRSA infection elsewhere in the hospital remained constant. Only one infection was detected during this 6-month trial, and this beneficial effect was maintained during the following 6 months. Since then, only sporadic new infections have been detected. Patients with arthroplasties performed during the study were followed for 12 months, and no new cases of MRSA infection were detected.

[Malignant lumbosciatic syndrome. Report of 21 cases with vertebral metastases]. / Síndrome lumbociático maligno. A propósito de veintiún casos de metástasis vertebrales.

We describe twenty one cases of tumoral metastasis on the vertebral column simulating initially discal herniation. All of them presented sciatica as a primary clinical manifestation of the malignant tumor. We describe here the differential diagnosis with other pathologies and the different outcome, like the poor response to regular treatment, alteration of the normal status, and alteration of the laboratory data. The radiologic findings and the laboratory abnormalities found in the emergency analysis should induce us to do more complete studies of the patient aimed to identify an underlying tumoral pathology.