Screening of gram-positive opportunistic bacteria from oral cancer infection and their antibiotic resistance pattern

Abstract

The immune compromised patients after treatment of oral cancer may have a chance of infection by drug-resistant opportunistic microbes. This study investigated the gram-positive opportunistic bacteria found in the oral cancer patient with infection and their resistance profile with the common antibiotics used. Total 100 swab sample were collected from oral cancer patients. Of them 21 had post-operative infection, 47 had pre-operative infection and 32 patients had no infection but tumor. Total 40 swab samples were taken from a group of healthy volunteers (control). After screening and identifying the isolates the gram-positive bacteria found were Staphylococcusspp(24%), Streptococcusspp(5%), Enterococcusspp(5%). Following statistical analysis there was a significant difference found between oral cancer patients with infection and control group. The highest number of pathogens found in the post-operative infection. The most effective antibiotics against these pathogens are linezolid, levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin and pathogens were more resistant against amoxicillin and ampicillin. Relatively the post-operative infection pathogens were more resistant.