MRSA in dermatology inpatients with a vesiculobullous disorder

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has emerged worldwide as a major nosocomial pathogen that causes notable morbidity and mortality, especially in vesiculobullous disorders. To study the prevalence of MRSA among patients with autoimmune bullous and drug-induced vesiculobullous disorders and elucidate its predisposing factors and associated mortality, we conducted a prospective, descriptive, 1-year study of all vesiculobullous patients admitted to a tertiary-care center. The prevalence of MRSA in this study was high (32.6%); MRSA constituted 55.8% of all bacterial isolates. All MRSA isolates were resistant to cloxacillin, oxacillin, and cefoxitin; all isolates (100%) were sensitive to vancomycin and linezolid; and 79.1% of isolates (34 patients) were sensitive to amikacin, an inexpensive and readily available antibiotic.