The Burden of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Surgical Site Infections: A Review

Abstract

Despite increased pre and postoperative care including screening procedures, improvement in the operating room environment, and controlled prophylactic antibiotic therapy, the health burden of Surgical Site Infections (SSIs) in India is far more escalated than that in developed countries. SSIs ranging from superficial skin infection to life threatening septicemia affect one third of the patient population undergoing surgery, thereby contributing to morbidity and mortality. One of the most dominant bacterial species that causes SSIs is Staphylococcus aureus, wherein Methicillin Resistant S.aureus (MRSA) alone contributes to a significant increase in both the cost and the length of hospitalisation along with an increased mortality rate among patients with SSIs. The rising resistance pattern among pathogens coupled with the concerns over the tolerance and safety of currently available agents against MRSA limits treatment options available for patients with SSIs. Levonadifloxacin and its oral prodrug alalevonadifloxacin are novel benzoquinolizine anti‑MRSA agents which have recently been approved in India to tackle gram positive ‘super-bugs’. Herein, the aim of this review article was to collate the possible factors contributing toward SSIs, its implications on health and economy, antibiotic resistance, possible preventive measures, and the need for new antimicrobial agents.

Keywords

• antibiotic resistance
• hospital acquired infection
• methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus
• surgical site infection