Review of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus with special reference to handling of surgical patients

Abstract

If used rationally, antibiotics can cure most bacterial infections. However, there is an increasing tendency globally for bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics. In Kenya, the occurrence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) is becoming increasingly prevalent. Penicillin, despite its narrow antibacterial spectrum, is still widely used in developing countries in prophylaxis as well as in curative settings. In surgical patients, antibiotic resistance is seen in: patients who are immunosuppressed, patients who have extensive burns and compound fractures, patients requiring prolonged hospital stay and those with malnutrition and low serum albumen levels. Various forms of theatre inadequacies may also result into antibiotic resistance. There are many methods of controlling the spread of MRSA and they should be put into place in surgical units with the assistance of infection control units. This paper is a review of MRSA as regards its history, prevalence, modes of transmission, surveillance, control measures, treatment and implications for both health care workers and patients.