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. 1987 Jun;98(3):231–239. doi: 10.1017/s0950268800061987

Plasmid analysis as an epidemiological tool in neurosurgical infections with coagulase-negative staphylococci.

A Ortqvist, U Ransjö, B Wretlind
PMCID: PMC2235354  PMID: 3595741

Abstract

Coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from blood or spinal fluid during a period of 1 year in a department of neurosurgery, were analysed by biotyping, antibiotic resistance pattern and plasmid profiles. Altogether 41 isolates from 19 patients were studied. About 90% of the isolates were Staphylococcus epidermidis. The antibiotic resistance pattern seemed to be closely related to antibiotic usage in the unit. Most common was resistance to penicillin (63%), trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (49%) and cloxacillin (39%) while resistance to gentamicin was seen in only one strain. In several cases species and antibiograms were identical in isolates from different patients. Plasmid pattern analysis could then be used for identification of different strains. In one instance, plasmid pattern and restriction enzyme analysis confirmed that two patients probably were infected by the same strain.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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