The Effects of a Mupirocin Smear in the Nasal Cavity Against Nosocomial Infections

Kil, Suk Young

Abstract

This study was done to analyze the effects of a smear in the nasal cavity against nosocomial infection. The smear used was mupirocin, and the study centered on infection which constitutes the majority of nosocomial infections called MRSA. The data were collected between March 23, 1998 and June 31 of the same year in a university hospital in the Kyongi Province, and is made up of a experimental group of 14 patients who were given nasal cavity smears and a control group of 16 patients who were not given nasal cavity smears. The data were analyzed through frequency and the Chi-square tests and gave forth these results. 1. Of the experimental group 28.6% developed nosocomial infections while 62.5% of the control group developed infections. This difference was significant. 2. In the experimental group, all of the patients developed infections within the fast week in the ICU, while 80% of the control group developed infections in the first week and 20% in the second week. The difference was not as marked here. 3. In the experimental group the DM group 66.7% contracted MRSA while 18.2% developed it in the non-DM group showing that the DM group had infection rate was 3.7 times higher than the non-DM groups. In the control group the DM group had a 100% infection rate while 50% of the non-DM group developed it. Overall the DM group's rate infection was 2.4 times higher than the non-DM group. 4. In the experimental group, 37.55% of the patients who had a tracheostomy developed it while 16.7% of the patients who did not have a tracheostomy developed infections. In the control group, 62.5% of the patients who had tracheostomy, and 37.5% of the patients who did not have tracheostomies developed infections. Those who had tracheostomies, and the control group had double the rate contracting infections. From these results we can see that nasal cavity smears are effective against nosocomial infections. In spite of the smears, patients with the diabetes mellitus had a high MRSA infection rate, which requires new alternative treatments.