Does methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureas have a significant role in the peri-operative course of patients undergoing rhinological surgery?

Objectives:
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections are becoming an increasing problem, but the link with symptomatic sino-nasal infection has not previously been quantified. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in patients undergoing sino-nasal surgery.

Design:
A retrospective study of case notes.

Setting:
A district general hospital.

Patients: One hundred and fifty-one adult patients undergoing in-patient endonasal surgery over a 12-month period were considered for the study.

Main outcome measures: Swab results from pre-operative screening and from any intra- and post-operative samples of infective mucopus.

Results: One hundred and fifty-one patients undergoing endonasal surgery were included. All patients had pre-operative nasal swabs taken. Twenty-five patients had peri-operative microbiology samples taken. Only one middle meatal swab was found to contain methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. No patients had methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus detected on pre-operative screening. Haemophilus influenzae was the most common organism detected.

Conclusion: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection does not represent a significant source of morbidity in our practice.