Health Information - MRSA Related Sinusitis on the Rise

MRSA Related Sinusitis on the Rise

Information collected between 2001 and 2006 shows researchers that MRSA, a deadly superbug, is present in the nasal cavities of people with chronic and acute sinusitis.

The Inflammation of the nasal passageways caused by a cold can sometimes lead to a bacterial Infection and sinusitis. When the Bacteria invading the nostrils is MRSA, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, the infection can be difficult to treat. MRSA is resistant to penicillin and amoxicillin.

The study results, which were isolated to patients in Taiwan, came from the cultures of 458 patients presenting with sinusitis. More than 200 of the patients were seen by physicians between 2001 and 2003 with the remaining visiting the physician between 2004 and 2006. The presence of MRSA in the cultures raised from 30% to 69% between the two sections of time in patients with acute sinusitis. MRSA was also found in 61% of the later cultures in chronic sinusitis patients. This number rose from 27% between 2001 and 2003.

Researchers noted that nearly 98% of the acute sinusitis cases are successfully treated without the use of Antibiotics as the sinusitis is viral in nature.