Methicillin-resistant staphylococci presenting as rare hospital-acquired infections: A case series

Abstract

Even though Staphylococcus aureus is present as normal flora on the skin, it is a pathogen when present in otherwise normally sterile body fluids such as cerebrospinal fluid and blood. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), presumed to originate from a patient or carrier, is responsible for both community-acquired as well as hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are present as normal flora on skin but cause vegetations on valve leaflets in subacute bacterial endocarditis and surgical site infection. MRCoNS arises from the skin flora of hospitalised patients and can contribute to similar infections in the hospital setting. We present three cases of Methicillin-resistant staphylococci causing HAI, MRSA causing meningitis with obstructive hydrocephalus, MRCoNS causing bacteraemia in a child with congenital cyanotic heart disease and MRCoNS causing surgical site infection on an amputation stump.