A study of nasal staphylococcal carriage in hospitalised infants

Summary

Seventy-four infants had their noses swabbed for pathogenic staphylococci on admission to hospital, and at four-day intervals until their discharge. Forty per cent of the infants were carriers on admission, many of the organisms being of multiple antibiotic resistance. The majority of these latter were admissions from other hospitals, and attention is drawn to the potential danger of this source of staphylococci.

The mean interval for the creation of the carrier state in hospital was found to be eight days, half of the carriers being created in four days. The influence of duration of hospitalisation and of antibiotic therapy on the creation of the carrier state in hospital is discussed. The relationship of the nasal carrier state to the subsequent development of hospital infection is assessed.