The study included 4,030 surgical patients who underwent cardiothoracic, general or neurologic procedures. Patients were followed weekly for four weeks after their procedures. In addition, the incidence of S. aureus surgical site infections among Bactroban-treated patients who underwent cardiothoracic and general surgery was 50 percent lower than among patients who received placebo, although the difference was not statistically significant. There was no difference in adverse events between the two groups. Of the prevention strategies studied to date, short, defined courses of mupirocin nasal ointment appear to be the most promising.
Nosocomial infections are a significant health care problem.
The CDC estimates that in addition to causing serious and often prolonged illness, nosocomial infections may cause up to four percent of all hospital deaths. S. aureus has long been recognised as an important pathogen in human disease. And, with increasing risk of S. aureus resistance to vancomycin, measures to prevent infection are a particularly attractive way to spare vancomycin use. Any question regarding a medical diagnosis, treatment, referral, drug availability or pricing should be directed to either a licensed physician or to the product's manufacturer. All rights reserved.