A Series of Postoperative Infections

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The work in a thoracic unit was rendered hazardous by a very high incidence of postoperative infections (37%). All the infections were caused by Staphylococcus aureus, and 80% of them by one type, well defined by its phage patterns, serology and sensitivity to antibiotics. From the noses of two nurses of the operating team an identical strain was isolated. When these two nurses were temporarily removed from their job, no postoperative infections occurred; as soon as they returned to it, new cases were observed. The nurses were instructed to improve their aseptic technique by some rather simple means (wearing double masks covering properly the nose, wearing gloves, etc.). Since then only two cases of postoperative infections happened during one year, and these cases were not due to the staphylo-coccal type carried by these nurses. The paper demonstrates the value of simultaneous use of serology, phage patterns, and sensitivity patterns in the epidemiologic identification of the bacterial strains in staphylococcal infections.