An Observational Study of Community-Acquired MRSA from Head and Neck Space Infections in Northern India

Background : Deep neck infections (DNIs) continues to be encountered in daily clinical practice even in the settings of widespread antibiotic use. We investigated the microbiology of deep neck infections and antibiogram profiles of  Staphylococcus aureus isolates. Methods : Isolation and characterization of Staphylococcus aureus strains were performed from pus samples aspirated from clinically suspected patients of DNIs attending the Otorhinolaryngology department of a tertiary care health setting in northern India. Results : Staphylococcus aureus was the most commonly recovered agent, out of which 11.5% were methicillin-resistant (MRSA). Conclusion : Community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) from  deep neck  infections is an issue of grave concern and emphasizes the need for culture-directed clinical decisions and appropriate choice of antibiotics.