Bacterial infections can normally be treated with antibiotics, i.e. penicillins, cephalosporins, tetracyclines, aminoglycosides and others. Over the years many bacteria have developed mechanisms that protect them against the action of antibiotics. These bacteria are called "antibiotic resistant" bacteria and if they are resistant to many or all antibiotics they are called multiresistant bacteria. A few of these can no longer be treated with any antibiotics. Some of them them tend to spread in hospital environment and so far they are more of a problem in hospitals and institutions than in the general community. They are not equally common in all parts of the world.
Multiresistant bacteria are rare in hospitals in Sweden and other nordic countries. We try hard to keep them out of our health care system. Our hospital infection control units spend a fair amount of time trying to prevent the spread of these bacteria.
All patients who have been hospitalized (or regularly received treatment in a hospital) outside Sweden during the last 6 months prior to their admission to a Swedish hospital, are screened for multiresistant bacteria immediately on admission to the ward.
All hospital personnel (Swedish or foreign) who have worked in health care institutions abroad during the last 6 months preceeding their taking part in hospital care procedures in Swedish health care institutions, are screened for multiresistant bacteria.
In patients samples are taken from the nose, from the groin, feces and if present from skin lesions, indwelling catheters, wounds, drains and other medical devices.
The results of the cultures do not affect the quality of the care you receive, only the degree of isolation (you may not be able to move outside your room during your stay), the wearing of protective clothing by the personnel, and the amount of handwashing performed.