MRSA—retrospective analysis of an outbreak in the burn centre Aachen

The growing interest in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been caused by its increased appearance in hospital and community populations. In our burn centre, an outbreak of MRSA was noticed during an 8-month period. We were able to isolate MRSA in eight patients. DNA analysis by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) demonstrated the development of five different strains during this period. Only two patients developed an infection caused by MRSA colonisation. The infections were proven by positive blood culture or catheter colonisation. One patient developed a clinical vancomycin-resistant sepsis which was treated successfully with the additional application of Quinupristin/Dalfopristin. This analysis shows that: (1) the development of MRSA in a burn unit is often created in a single patient by long-term antibiotic therapy and not a result of cross-infection, (2) manifest MRSA infection seldom occurs even in colonised burn patients, and (3) a clinically vancomycin-resistant MRSA infection in burn patients can be treated sufficiently with Quinupristin/Dalfopristin.