Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) a gram positive commonly isolated pathogen is known for multi drug resistance and nosocomial infection. A 3 year review study of S.aureus isolated from clinical samples of  cancer patients (lymphohaematological malignancies and solid tumors) was done in the department of microbiology in a government referral cancer hospital in bangalore, South India from January 2014 to December 2016.The study was to know the isolation percentage of S.aureus in cancer patients and to identify the most common gram positive pathogen causing infection in cancer patients. A review on S.aureus infections in cancer patients done for the first time in South India.

Materials and Methods: A meticulous survey of clinical samples comprising of blood, urine, e.n.t (ear, nose, throat), sputum, pus from cancer patients including all clinical oncology services was reviewed in microbiology laboratory. Bacterial culture was processed by conventional method and antibiotic susceptibility testing performed by the Stokes's disc diffusion technique as per Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recommendations.

Results: The total number of growth from all clinical samples was blood 7441(15.4%), pus 929(32.8%), sputum 2480(17.8%),urine2357(13.4%)and e.n.t 1552(24.8%) of which  gram positive pathogens from pus 773(32.8%), sputum 266(17.8%), e.n.t 250(24.8%), blood 230(15.4%)and urine 829(13.4%). Amongst which S.aureus was isolated from pus187 (24.2%), urine 75(91.5%), sputum 74(27.8%), blood 64(27.8%), and e.n.t 52(20.8%). MRSA from pus, e.n.t, sputuzm, blood, urine was 32.8%,24.8%17.8% 15.4%, and 13.8% respectively. Other gram positive isolates were enterococci, β-steptococci, co-agulase negative staphylococci, streptococcus pneumonia and aerococcus.

Conclusion: S.aureus was the most common gram positive bacteria isolated and gram negative infections was more common than gram positive infections as analysed from infections in cancer patients at our regional referral hospital. Demographic and epidemiological changing pattern of bacterial strains in cancer patients need to be updated frequently.       

Keywords: Gram positive pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus), Cancer, MRSA.

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Vijay C R

Asst. Professor, Epidemiology and Biostatistics,

Kidwai Cancer Institute, Bengaluru