The number of antibiotic-resistant head and neck infections among American children increased during a five-year-period up to the end of 2006, according to an article published in Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, January issue.

Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery is one of the JAMA/Archive journals.

The article explains that up to 1980, infections with strains of the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus resistant to the antibiotic methicillin (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA) were generally acquired in hospital. Over the last decade, however, community-acquired MRSA infections have become significantly more common in nursing homes, prisons, and among chronically ill patients and in individuals considered to be low risk.

The researchers write “Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogen commonly seen in many infections involving the head and neck. In recent years, there have been increasing reports of community-acquired MRSA infections in children.”

Iman Naseri, M.D., Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, and team looked at data regarding pediatric head and neck infections that took place at over 300 hospitals across the USA during the period 2001 – 2006. Infection sites were divided into oropharyngeal/neck (head and neck), sinonasal (nose and sinuses) and otologic (ear), and demographic and antibiotic resistance patterns were reviewed.

21.6% of the 21,009 S. aureus infections that occurred during this period were resistant to methicillin. MRSA rates rose from 11.8% to 28.1% during that five-year period. “This represents a 16.3-percent increase in MRSA during these six years for all pediatric head and neck S. aureus infections,” the scientists wrote.

Among the three groups of infection sites, 34% of MRSA infections were found in the ears, 28.3% sinonasal, and 14.2% head and neck.

The authors wrote “Judicious use of antibiotic agents and increased effectiveness in diagnosis and treatment are warranted to reduce further antimicrobial drug resistance in pediatric head and neck infections.”

The researchers concluded “Expeditious culture of suspected head and neck infections leading to more appropriate antimicrobial drug selection is highly recommended to avoid further resistant patterns. Further studies linking the microbiologic and clinical behaviors of MRSA are warranted to gain additional insight into the dynamic existence of this organism.”

“Nationwide Trends in Pediatric Staphylococcus aureus Head and Neck Infections”
Iman Naseri, MD; Robert C. Jerris, PhD; Steven E. Sobol, MD, MSc
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2009;135(1):14-16.
Click here to view abstract online

Written by – Christian Nordqvist