Incidence of MRSA infection in pneumonia in cancer patients with phenotyping & genotyping study

Abstract

Background: Infections remain a part of the natural course of cancer. During the course of their disease, patients with cancer frequently present with an infection that can ultimately be fatal. Staphylococcus aureus continues to be a dangerous pathogen for both community-acquired as well as hospital-associated infections. S. aureus resistant to methicillin was reported soon after its introduction in October 1960. Material and methods: We included 40 cancer patients diagnosed with pneumonia, Methicillin resistance test was checked for all isolates of S. aureus. The selected resistance isolates with positive phenotypic tests were subjected to molecular screening study using the PCR amplification technique for detection of mec A gene. Results: 10 samples of patients isolates were positive for staph infection, 7 out of them are MRSA and confirmed by mec A gene. Conclusion: In any cancer patients with pneumonia that is proved to be caused by staph aureus anti MRSA treatment should be initiated empirically