Decreased Incidence of Antibiotic Resistance Among <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>

Abstract

Data on antibiotic sensitivity tests for all Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from clinically significant sources in hospitalized patients over a 9-year period have been tabulated and compared. There was an unquestionable trend toward increasing sensitivity to the majority of antibiotics tested, and there has been a striking decrease in the incidence of multiple-resistant strains. The proportion of strains sensitive to all antibiotics tested or resistant only to penicillin G increased from 9% in 1959 to almost 80% in 1966 and 1967. Over the 9-year period a decreasing proportion of hospitalized patients yielded S. aureus from lesions. In spite of an increasing hospital census, the total number of serious staphylococcus infections as reflected by positive blood cultures showed a marked, progessive decline between 1959 and 1966, although there was a sizable rebound in 1967.