A study of the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in dermatology inpatients.
BACKGROUND
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a cause of increased morbidity and mortality in debilitated and immunocompromised patients.


OBJECTIVE
To study the prevalence of MRSA among dermatology inpatients and elucidate its predisposing factors and antibiotic sensitivity pattern.


METHODS
This prospective study involved all the inpatients in the dermatology ward with suspected bacterial infections, both primary and secondary. Gram's stain, pus culture, and antibiotic sensitivity were the main tests done.


RESULTS
There were 61 patients in this study, with 36 males (59%) and 25 females (41%). The age group maximally affected was 41-50 years (21.6%). Vesiculobullous disorders (22, 36.1%) and eczemas (16, 26.2%) were the commonest dermatoses with secondary infection. Extremities (72.1%) and the trunk (26.2%) were the commonest sites involved. Diabetes mellitus (DM) was the commonest systemic illness (11.5%). Staphylococcus aureus was the commonest isolate, grown in 52 patients (85.2%) of whom 16 (30.80%) were MRSA positive. MRSA constituted 22.2% of the total bacterial isolates. All the MRSA isolates (100%) were resistant to cloxacillin and oxacillin, while all the isolates (100%) were sensitive to vancomycin and linezolid.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of MRSA in this study was high. It was most commonly seen in patients with vesiculobullous disorders. A high sensitivity of MRSA was found to amikacin. There was no relation between prolonged antibiotic therapy and MRSA in this study.
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Government Medical College, Trivandrum, Kerala, India.
N
N
Vijayamohan
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Government Medical College, Trivandrum, Kerala, India.
S Pradeep
SP
Nair
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; vancomycin; vesiculobullous disorders