[Staphylococcus spp. in Spain: present situation and evolution of antimicrobial resistance (1986-2006)]

Since 1986 we have carried out five nationwide point-prevalence studies in Spain analyzing Staphylococcus spp. The 2006 data, corresponding to the sixth study, are presented herein.

A total of 145 hospitals from all geographic areas of the country participated in the study. We investigated 866 staphylococcal isolates (463 S. aureus). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed against 16 antimicrobials by an automated microdilution method. Susceptibility to tigecycline was determined by the E-test method.

Resistance of S. aureus to oxacillin seemed to have stabilized (31.2% in 2002 vs. 29.2% in 2006), and the same was true for resistance to erythromycin, clindamycin and ciprofloxacin. In 2006, isolates were more susceptible to gentamicin (16.9% resistance in 2002 vs. 8.6% in 2006, P < 0.001). None of the isolates presented decreased susceptibility to vancomycin, and the resistance to cotrimoxazole (0.9%) and rifampin (0.6%) was minimal. One isolate showed linezolid resistance. Resistance of coagulase negative staphylococci to oxacillin (61.3% in 2002 vs. 66.7% in 2006) and erythromycin (63.0% in 2002 vs. 66.5% in 2006) remained stable, although resistance to gentamicin (27.8% in 2002 vs. 44.2% in 2006, P < 0.001), ciprofloxacin (44.9% in 2002 vs. 54.3% in 2006, P = 0.010) and clindamycin (33.8% in 2002 vs. 46.2% in 2006, P = 0.001) has increased. Two isolates presented decreased susceptibility to teicoplanin and one was linezolid-resistant. All Staphylococcus spp. were uniformly susceptible to quinupristin-dalfopristin and tigecycline.

Resistance of Staphylococcus spp. to oxacillin remains high in Spain, but seems to have stabilized in the last years. Linezolid resistance is emerging.