STUDIES ON POSTOPERATIVE MRSA INFECTIONS IN PATIENTS WITH GASTRIC CANCER

Abstract

A recent 3-year experience with 228 patients operated on for a gastric cancer was reviewed to determine factors causing postoperative MRSA infections. In this review incidence of postoperative infection, infected site, isolates, antibiotics used postoperatively, clinical staging of gastric cancer, operative procedure, extent of dissection, radicability, operation time, bleeding volume, preoperative blood and biochemical findings and underlying disease were examined.Postoperative infection occurred in 26 of the 228 (11.4%), and 13 (5.7%) were caused by MRSA. Of MRSA infections infectious enteritis was most frequent (2.6%; 6/228) followed by respiratory and drainage tube infections at the same rate of 0.9% (2/228). There occurred no MRSA infection in treated with the first generation cefem antibiotics in postoperative prophylactic use. There were no other significant factors but possible nosocomial infection.We think that the management of nosocomial infection and appropriate selection of antibiotics in postoperative prophylactic use are important to decrease postoperative MRSA infection.