Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Clinical Pathology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Pathology
. 1967 Mar;20(2):195–198. doi: 10.1136/jcp.20.2.195

Wound infections acquired from a disperser of an unusual strain of Staphylococcus aureus

G A J Ayliffe 1, B J Collins 1
PMCID: PMC473454  PMID: 5602512

Abstract

Seven post-operative wounds were infected with a strain of Staphylococcus aureus, probably acquired from a theatre orderly who suffered from a dry generalized eczema. The orderly was a nasal and heavy skin carrier, and was shown to be a disperser of the epidemic strain. Infection was probably acquired from airborne contamination in the operating theatre, since the orderly did not scrub-up.

The epidemic strain (phage type 80/81 at 1,000 routine test dilution) was sensitive to penicillin and resistant to tetracycline and novobiocin. Neomycin resistance was variable. This strain was found to lose resistance to neomycin when subcultured in the absence of the antibiotic.

Full text

PDF
195

Selected References

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

  1. BARBER M., KUPER S. W. A. Identification of Staphylococcus pyogenes by the phosphatase reaction. J Pathol Bacteriol. 1951 Jan;63(1):65–68. doi: 10.1002/path.1700630108. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BASSETT H. F., FERGUSON W. G., HOFFMAN E., WALTON M., BLOWERS R., CONN C. A. Sources of staphylococcal infection in surgical wound sepsis. J Hyg (Lond) 1963 Mar;61:83–94. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400020775. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. BETHUNE D. W., BLOWERS R., PARKER M., PASK E. A. DISPERSAL OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS BY PATIENTS AND SURGICAL STAFF. Lancet. 1965 Feb 27;1(7383):480–483. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(65)91610-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. BLOWERS R., MASON G. A., WALLACE K. R., WALTON M. Control of wound infection in a thoracic surgery unit. Lancet. 1955 Oct 15;269(6894):786–794. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(55)92385-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. BROWNE A. F., RYAN E. A., GLASSOW F. J., MARTIN C. J., SHOULDICE E. E. Staphylococcic wound infections; study of wound infections in several thousand hernia cases. J Am Med Assoc. 1959 Jul 11;170(11):1274–1283. doi: 10.1001/jama.1959.03010110022005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. COOK J., GRIFFITHS J. D., SHOOTER R. A., WILLIAMS R. E. Outbreak of staphylococcal infection in a surgical ward. Br Med J. 1957 Feb 23;1(5016):433–436. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5016.433. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. FOSTER W. D. Environmental staphylococcal contamination. Lancet. 1960 Mar 26;1(7126):670–673. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(60)90561-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. HARE R., THOMAS C. G. The transmission of Staphylococcus aureus. Br Med J. 1956 Oct 13;2(4997):840–844. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.4997.840. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. LOWBURY E. J., BABB J. R., BROWN V. L., COLLINS B. J. NEOMYCIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS IN A BURNS UNIT. J Hyg (Lond) 1964 Jun;62:221–228. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400039942. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. NOBLE W. C., DAVIES R. R. STUDIES ON THE DISPERSAL OF STAPHYLOCOCCI. J Clin Pathol. 1965 Jan;18:16–19. doi: 10.1136/jcp.18.1.16. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. PENIKETT E. J., KNOX R., LIDDELL J. An outbreak of post-operative sepsis. Br Med J. 1958 Apr 5;1(5074):812–814. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5074.812. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. SOMPOLINSKY D., HERMANN Z., OEDING P., RIPPON J. E. A series of postoperative infections. J Infect Dis. 1957 Jan-Feb;100(1):1–11. doi: 10.1093/infdis/100.1.1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. WALTER C. W., KUNDSIN R. B., BRUBAKER M. M. THE INCIDENCE OF AIRBORNE WOUND INFECTION DURING OPERATION. JAMA. 1963 Dec 7;186:908–913. doi: 10.1001/jama.1963.03710100046011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Pathology are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES