Importance of the environment for patient acquisition of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the intensive care unit: a baseline study.

Objective: To assess the degree of environmental contamination with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in critical care and the likelihood of subsequent new patient acquisition if carriers were or were not moved to single rooms.

Design: Randomized sequential sampling of bed areas.

Setting: Intensive care units of two teaching hospitals.

In vitro susceptibility of Gram-positive pathogens to linezolid and teicoplanin and effect on outcome in critically ill patients.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of teicoplanin and linezolid resistance amongst Gram-positive pathogens isolated in the intensive care unit (ICU) and the impact of any resistance on clinical outcome.

Methods: Gram-positive isolates were collected from two critical care units over 1 year. All patients were screened weekly for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Isolation of patients in single rooms or cohorts to reduce spread of MRSA in intensive-care units: prospective two-centre study.

Background: Hospital-acquired infection due to meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is common within intensive-care units. Single room or cohort isolation of infected or colonised patients is used to reduce spread, but its benefit over and above other contact precautions is not known. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of moving versus not moving infected or colonised patients in intensive-care units to prevent transmission of MRSA.

Linezolid versus teicoplanin in the treatment of Gram-positive infections in the critically ill: a randomized, double-blind, multicentre study.

Objectives: Linezolid, the only commercially available oxazolidinone, is indicated for the treatment of Gram-positive infections, although little has been published specifically on its use in the critically ill. A randomized, prospective study was therefore performed to compare linezolid with the glycopeptide antibiotic, teicoplanin, for the treatment of suspected or proven Gram-positive infections in an intensive care population.

Methods: Using a double-blind, double-dummy, prospective design, patients were randomized to (i) intravenous linezolid (600 mg/12 h) plus teicoplanin dummy [one dose/12 h for three doses then every 24 h intravenously (iv)] or (ii) teicoplanin (400 mg/12 h for three doses then 400 mg/24 h iv) plus linezolid dummy (one dose/12 h iv).