Staphylococcus Aureus Sepsis in Patients with Hematological Malignancies: Increase in MRSA Sepsis

Abstract

From January 1978 to August 1990, Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) were identified in 31 patients with hematological malignancies at Jichi Medical School hospital. Mortality due to SAB was 48.4% (15/31). Of the variables analyzed, four factors were significantly associated with a poor prognosis; elderly age (p=0.015), high granulocyte count (more than 500/μl) (p=0.015), presence of DIC (p=0.011) and presence of pneumonia (p=0.023). The incidence of methicillin-resistant SAB was 32.3% (10/31) and the first patient developed in 1985. Although not statistically significant, there was a trend of higher mortality for methicillin-resistant SAB (70%) than for methicillin-sensitive SAB (38.1%). Most strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus were sensitive to minocycline, chloramphenicol and vancomycin.