Introduction: Global concern is the treatment of infections caused by methicillin-resistant strains ofgenus Staphylococcus. The aim ofthis study was the analysis ofthe staphylococcal infections' incidence in a multi-profile hospital in Nowy Targ, Poland, in the years 2001- 2004 with a focus on the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance among isolated strains of S. aureus and methicillin-resistant staphylococci.
Material and method: The study was based on the results of bacteriological tests performed in the hospital bacteriological laboratory. The study included patients treated in years 2001-2004 in cardiology, nephrology, surgery, orthopedics, pediatric, intensive care, gynecology and neonatal ward.
Results: Regardless of the year in which the analysis was performed, S. aureus strains resistant to methicillin were not cultured on the neonatal ward and gynecology ward. On the other side, methicillin-sensitive strains were cultured on all of the hospital's wards. A very high sensitivity (virtually 100%) of staphylococcus to vancomycin and teicoplanin and a high sensitivity (87-93%) to chloramphenicol was found. This study showed that the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus strains were the least sensitive to tetracycline.
Conclusions: 1. The highest sensitivity of Staphylococcus was reported to glycopeptides and the lowest to tetracycline. 2. Most of the Staphylococcus strains were cultured in the cardiology department and the least of the strains in the department of gynecology. 3. It is advisable to check whether the frequency of Staphylococcus culture's occurrence has decreased after implementation of the WHO recommendations.