Epidemiology of infections in the adult medical intensive care unit of a cancer hospital

Abstract

A prospective collection of positive antimicrobial cultures was performed over 12 consecutive months in the medical intensive care unit of a cancer hospital. In all, 144 infections and 163 pathogens were documented during 87 of the 528 admissions. Lung, urinary, ENT (ear, nose and throat) infections and bacteraemia were the most frequently documented. Staphylococcus species, Streptococcus species, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella species and Pseudomonas species were the most common pathogens. Gram-positive strains were observed predominantly during monomicrobial bacteraemia (48.9%). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE) were found in 58% and 92% of the isolated strains respectively. No particular outbreak was identified. A further prospective study will be necessary to evaluate the impact of the antibiotic use on the selection of resistant strains in our ICU.

Anaerobic bacteria colonizing the lower airways in lung cancer patients

“…Informed consent was obtained from all patients. Pneumonia, including nosocomial pneumonia, is one of the main complications occurring in lung cancer patients due to defects in the clearance system in sites peripheral to the bronchial obstruction, or stenosis caused by cancer therapy as well as cancer itself and broad-spectrum antibiotics usage [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. The role of anaerobes in the pathogenesis of pneumonia in hospitalized patients, especially in critically or chronically ill patients, is still controversial [4,15,16].…”

Clinical features of head and neck cancer patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

“…In particular, patients with malignancy have a high risk of MRSA infection. Cancer chemotherapy may induce an immunosuppressed condition; radiotherapy often elicits local inflammation, especially mucitis; and surgery breaks local barriers against pathogens and could cause MRSA wound infection [8,9]. Of the 318 consecutive patients with head and neck cancers in the present study, about 14% were positive for MRSA.…”

Cancerous patients and outbreak of Escherichia coli: an important issue in oncology

“…The risk factors for having the MDR include the previous chemotherapy and prior admission [10] . Indeed, it is reported that E. coli is one of the most common pathogen identified in medical oncology hospital [11] . However, if the good infectious control is implemented, outbreak can be successfully controlled [11] .…”