Sternal wound infection after heart operations in pediatric patients associated with nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus.

Authors

Ruef C, Fanconi S, Nadal D 

Institution

Division of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland.

Source

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1996 Sep; 112(3) :681-6.

Abstract

A cluster of six pediatric cases of deep-seated Staphylococcus aureus infection after heart operations prompted us to perform molecular typing of the S. aureus isolates by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. This revealed the presence of genotypically distinct isolates in four of the six patients. Isolates of two patients were genotypically identical. All patients carried S. aureus in the anterior nares. In each patient, the banding pattern of deoxyribonucleic acid in these isolates was indistinguishable from that in strains isolated from blood or wound cultures. Molecular typing with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis ruled out nosocomial transmission of S. aureus between four patients; at the same time, it provided evidence for an association between nasal colonization and postoperative wound infection. Epidemiologic investigation of potential links between two patients with identical isolates did not provide any evidence for nosocomial transmission of S. aureus between these patients. Because nasal colonization with S. aureus may be a risk factor for surgical wound infection in pediatric patients undergoing heart operations, preoperative decolonization appears to be warranted.

Mesh

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Bacteremia
Bacterial Typing Techniques
Child
Child, Preschool
Cross Infection
DNA Probes
DNA, Bacterial
Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
Female
Genotype
Heart Defects, Congenital
Humans
Infant
Male
Nose
Preoperative Care
Risk Factors
Staphylococcal Infections
Staphylococcus aureus
Sternum
Surgical Wound Infection

Language

eng

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

PubMed ID

8800156