[Nationwide investigation in Japan of the status of MRSA infections and usefulness of arbekacin].

A clinical investigation on MRSA infections, and the determination of the efficacy and usefulness of arbekacin (ABK) were performed an "MRSA Forum" composed of 18 groups including 115 institutions in Japan. Patients with infectious diseases clearly related with MRSA, a total of 348 (males: 237, females: 111), were evaluated, 74/274 patients were treated with ABK alone/combination with ABK. Most of them (94.6%/96.4%) had underlying diseases and they had pneumonia (38/175), sepsis (6/35) or other infections (30/64). Infections by MRSA alone were noted in 41/159 and polymicrobial infections including with MRSA were in 33/115. 53.6%/56.4% of MRSA were eradicated and bacteriological clinical efficacies were 75.6%/67.9% in single infections and 63.6%/71.3% in polymicrobial infections. The clinical efficacies were obtained in 70.3%/69.3% of total and in 60.5%/72.0% of pneumonia and in 90.0%/80.8% of the patients pretreated with other drugs within 3 days previously. Efficacy rates were 78.6%/71.4% in 30 minute's div and 63.2%/66.4% in 60 minute's div. Adverse effects were found in 4.76%/5.70% including renal function disorder (2/11) but no case was serious. Abnormal laboratory test results were noted in 15.4%. ABK is effective against MRSA infections.