Drug resistance pattern of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Area of Science:

• Medical Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Clinical Pharmacy

Background:

• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a significant cause of hospital-acquired infections.
• Understanding antibiotic resistance patterns is crucial for effective treatment and infection control.
• MRSA prevalence varies across different clinical settings and patient populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the antibiotic resistance patterns of MRSA strains isolated from hospitalized patients.
• To identify the primary sources and clinical specialties associated with MRSA isolation.
• To provide recommendations for antimicrobial stewardship regarding MRSA treatment.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 404 MRSA isolates from various clinical samples (pus, CSF, blood, sputum).
• Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed for selected antibiotics.
• Isolation rates were determined based on clinical specialty and ward type.

Main Results:

• High resistance rates observed for gentamicin (51.8%), erythromycin (80.1%), and co-trimoxazole (89.6%).
• All analyzed MRSA strains demonstrated sensitivity to vancomycin.
• MRSA isolation was most frequent in surgical specialties (General Surgery: 28.5%, Neurosurgery: 16.3%, Cardio-thoracic: 10.5%).

Conclusions:

• Vancomycin remains a reliable treatment option for MRSA infections in this setting.
• Restricting cloxacillin use is recommended due to vancomycin's unavailability in the country.
• Targeted infection control measures in surgical wards are warranted to reduce MRSA transmission.