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Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of postoperative infections, especially among the 25% to 30% of the population who carry this organism in their anterior nares. In a large blinded trial, researchers from Iowa evaluated whether routine preoperative use of the topical antistaphylococcal agent mupirocin reduced institutional rates of postoperative staph infections.
A total of 3864 patients were randomized to apply either mupirocin or placebo ointment to their anterior nares twice daily for up to 5 days before surgery. During the month after surgery, rates of nosocomial infections were the same in the 2 groups, as were rates of wound infections and of all S. aureus infections.
In the subgroup of 891 patients documented to have S. aureus na…