The use of vancomycin in the treatment of adult patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection: a survey in a tertiary hospital in China

Background: Vancomycin is frequently used in the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Objectives: To determine MRSA infection status and the use of vancomycin in its treatment at a teaching hospital in China. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 140 cases of MRSA infection that were treated from January 2013 to October 2014. We analyzed the etiology of MRSA infection and the use of vancomycin in these cases. Results: MRSA infection mainly occurred in elderly patients concomitant with a variety of diseases, which incidence was more in men than women. More cases of MRSA infection were encountered in the ICU than in other departments. The positive culture results for MRSA were obtained in the sputum (38.57%), pharyngeal swab (19.29%), blood (5.71%), and wound secretion (11.43%) samples. The MRSA patients were sensitive to vancomycin, with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) being 1 mu g/mL in 53.80% of the cases and 2 mu g/mL in 44.10% of the cases, respectively. Among the 35 (25%) cases treated with vancomycin, 23 were cured, while 3 died and 7 (20%) were considered as an unreasonable application. Conclusions: MRSA infection mainly appeared in patients admitted to the ICU. The MIC of vancomycin had a tendency to increase gradually.