An outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a large medical center.

The charts of 100 patients with methicillin-resistant, gentamicin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSRA) were reviewed after an outbreak of MSRA occurred in our hospital. The location of the patients at the time of first positive culture was studied. The NICU was the most common location (24%). The burn unit accounted for nine per cent, and the remaining patients were widely distributed among the surgery services. Patterns of transmission were difficult to determine, and even with strict measures, complete eradication of the organism has not yet been achieved. Vancomycin, a potent and nephrotoxic antibiotic, is the treatment of choice.