This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Save to my personal folders Download to citation manager Rights & Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ashour, H. M. Articles by El-Sharif, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ashour, H. M. Articles by El-Sharif, A. Social Bookmarking                            What's this?

Microbial Spectrum and Antibiotic Susceptibility Profile of Gram-Positive Aerobic Bacteria Isolated From Cancer Patients

Hossam M. Ashour, Amany El-Sharif

From the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo; and the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Al-Azhar Egypt

Address reprint requests to Hossam M. Ashour, PhD, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr El-Aini St, Cairo, Egypt 11562; e-mail: hossamking{at}mailcity.com

Purpose Cancer patients are particularly susceptible to nosocomial infections because of their compromised immune system, and because of the nature of treatment practices they experience. Recently, a shift of the microbial spectrum of cancer patients from Gram-negative to Gram-positive has been demonstrated. This study analyzed the distribution and the antimicrobial resistance of Gram-positive bacteria isolated from cancer patients in Egypt.

Patients and Methods We examined the microbial spectrum of Gram-positive bacteria in patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. In addition, we also studied the antimicrobial resistance of pathogens accounting for the majority of Gram-positive infections in these cancer patients.

Results Most of Gram-positive isolates from urinary tract (100%), respiratory tract (89.7%), and bloodstream infections (BSIs; 65.5%) were obtained from leukemic patients. All Gram-positive isolates from skin infections were isolated from solid-tumor patients. In both leukemic and solid-tumor patients, Gram-positive bacteria causing nosocomial BSI were mainly Coagulase-negative staphylococcus (CNS) and S aureus, whereas Gram-positive bacteria causing nosocomial RTI were mainly -hemolytic streptococci and CNS. Gram-positive bacteria were not isolated from GI tract infections. S aureus, CNS, and -hemolytic streptococci demonstrated methicillin resistance (81.5%, 92.3%, and 90% resistance, respectively). S aureus and CNS were susceptible to linezolid (15.4% and 0% resistance, respectively), and vancomycin (15.5% and 11% resistance, respectively).

Conclusion This is the first study to report the emergence of vancomycin- and linezolid-resistant S aureus in Egypt. Newer generation quinolones (moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin) were more active than older quinolones (ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin) against S aureus and CNS, suggesting the use of newer generation quinolones in the prophylaxis of cancer patients.

Authors' disclosures of potential conflicts of interest and author contributions are found at the end of this article.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?