The use of a commonly prescribed antibiotic is a major
contributor to the spread of infection in hospitals by the
‘superbug’ MRSA, according to new research. The study also found
that increasing measures to prevent infection – such as improved
hygiene and hand washing – appeared to have only a small effect
on reducing MRSA infection rates during the period studied. MRSA
– methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus – is a bacteria
that causes hospital-acquired infection and is resistant to all
of the penicillin-type antibiotics frequently used in hospitals
to prevent and treat infection. It can cause serious infections
of the skin, blood, lungs and bones. The researchers – led by St
George’s, University of London – tracked MRSA infection over 10
years from 1999 to 2009 at St George’s Hospital, looking at how
it has adapted to survive in a hospital environment and at
factors that affected its prevalence. They found that a
significant drop in MRSA rates coincided with a reduction in
hospital prescriptions of ci