Clinical and microbiological characteristics of skin and soft tissue infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus in children in a hospital in Medellin from 2013 to 2015

• Published in: Revista chilena de infectología Vol. 34; no. 5; pp. 487 - 490
• Main Authors: Castaño-Jaramillo, Lina María, Beltrán-Arroyave, C, Santander-Peláez, L C, Vélez-Escobar, A M, Garcés-Samudio, C G, Trujillo-Honeysberg, Mónica
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Chile 01.10.2017
• Subjects: Age Factors; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Child; Child, Preschool; Colombia - epidemiology; Female; Hospitals; Humans; Male; Methicillin Resistance - drug effects; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus - isolation & purification; Prevalence; Retrospective Studies; Sex Distribution; Skin - microbiology; Soft Tissue Infections - drug therapy; Soft Tissue Infections - epidemiology; Soft Tissue Infections - microbiology; Staphylococcal Infections - drug therapy; Staphylococcal Infections - epidemiology; Staphylococcal Infections - microbiology; Staphylococcal Skin Infections - drug therapy; Staphylococcal Skin Infections - epidemiology; Staphylococcal Skin Infections - microbiology; Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Staphylococcus aureus - isolation & purification
• ISSN: 0717-6341
• DOI: 10.4067/S0716-10182017000500487

Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) are very common in children and Staphylococcus aureus is the main agent, with an increase of methicillin resistant strains (MRSA) in recent years. To identify the frequency of MRSA in skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) in children from a high complex hospital in Medellin, Colombia. This is a descriptive, retrospective study, information was obtained from medical records. We included patients younger than 18 years with SSTI due to S. aureus who did not meet criteria for invasive disease. The prevalence of MRSA in this population was 31%. The main diagnosis was cutaneous abscess (68%), followed by surgical site infection (15%) and non-purulent cellulitis (6%). Eighty five percent of the patients had at least 1 comorbidity. All isolates were sensitive to rifampicin and cotrimoxazole and 8% of the isolates were resistant to clindamycin. There was a higher prevalence of MRSA in patients under 2 years compared to older (60 vs 23%, p = 0,0109). In view of the high prevalence of MRSA in SSTI, empirical treatment with adequate coverage for MRSA is recommended, especially for patients under 2 years of age.