Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in a cohort of children with cancer

According to medical literature, nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in pediatric age in the general population ranges between 10 and 40 %, not being clearly established in children with cancer. In order to determine the prevalence in this group and its possible increment through successive hospitalizations, we studied the Calvo Mackenna's oncologic patients below 19 years of age, with a series of nasal cultures. We took four samples for each patient in a period of one year. Of 80 patients initially included, 10 died, 9 returned to their city of origin before the end of the study and in 8 cases it was not possible to complete the follow-up. Prevalence of nasal carriage was 21.2% (17/80). From 17 children colonized, 14 lost this condition, 2 abandoned the follow-up and only I was positive at the end of the study. Incidence of hospitalization due to febrile neutropenia was 28.7% (23/80) and the relation between nasal carriage and the number of these events was not significant (p = 0.59). The relation between the number of hospitalizations and an increment in nasal colonization (p = 0,80) was also not significant. In conclusion, nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in children with cancer is similar to carriage described for healthy children. Carriage would be a transitory condition, variable through time for each patient, without relation to a greater number of febril neutropenia episodes.