Increase in the Frequency of Recovery of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Acute and Chronic Maxillary Sinusitis

An increase in the recovery of MRSA was recently noted in various infectious sites including sinusitis. The presence  of MRSA in the infected sinus may not only lead to failure of antimicrobial therapy but can also serve as a potential source for the spread of these organisms to other body sites as well as an origin for dissemination to other individuals.

A recent study of 458 patients with maxillary sinusitis illustrated a significant increase in the recovery rate of MRSA in these patients. S. aureus was isolates from 8% of acute sinusitis patients between 2001-2003; and 30% were MRSA. The organism  was recovered from 10% of patients with acute sinusitis between 2004-2006; and 69% were MRSA ( p< .01). S. aureus was found in 16% of chronic sinusitis patients between 2001-2003; and 27% were MRSA. It was recovered from 20% of chronic sinusitis patients between 2004-2006; and 61% were MRSA ( p< .05). MRSA was isolated more often from patients who received previous antimicrobial therapy.

These findings suggest the need to suspect the presence of MRSA in sinusitis patients who had received previous antimicrobial therapy or do not or fail to improve after 48 hours of therapy.