[On the incidence of Staphylococcus aureus in the throat of medical students (author's transl)].

There have been taken throat swabs of 148 medical students for making inquiries about the carrier rate of Staph. aureus. 106 of these persons could be checked-up after ca. two weeks. A comparison was made with the nursing staff of surgical wards of a university hospital. In view of the medical students Staph. aureus could be cultivated out of the throat swabs in 30%, in view of the hospital staff in 22%. 18% of the medical students were carriers for least two weeks. The Staph. aureus strains isolated from medical students and those isolated from the nursing staff showed on principle the same characteristics towards antibiotics resistance. With regard to the bedside-teaching it should be taken into consideration, that medical students are carriers of Staph. aureus to such a degree as the nursing staff.