Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 27, 2026
Improved Enzyme Protection Assay to Study Staphylococcus aureus Internalization and Intracellular Efficacy of Antimicrobial Compounds
Published on: September 8, 2021
Antibacterial activity of penicillins alone and in combination with different agents against Staphylococcus aureus
Sumbal Nosheen1, Hasan Ejaz2, Aizza Zafar2
1Department of Pharmacy, The Children's Hospital & ICH, Lahore, Pakistan / Department of Pharmacy, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, Pakistan.
Abstract:
Difficulties in the treatment of the resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, which is a frequent cause of nosocomial infections in paediatric patients, has prompted this research to empower the usage of various combinations of penicillin. During the study period 17,452 clinical samples were processed for culture. The positive cultures yielded 564 strains of S. aureus. Out of these, 362 (64.2%) isolates were found to be methicillin sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) and 202 (35.8%) methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The frequency of S. aureus isolates from male patients (355; 63.1%) was found to be higher than female patients (209; 36.9%) and those from indoor wards (441; 78.2%) were more than the outdoor wards (123; 21.8%). Frequency distribution of S. aureus showed to be highest among blood 342 (60.6%) and cerebrospinal fluid 100 (17.8%) samples. The sensitivity pattern of MSSA with piperacillin-tazobactam was 344 (95.0%), ampicillin-sulbactam 340 (93.9%), co-amoxiclav 332 (91.8%) and ampicillin-oxacillin 257 (71.0%). MRSA susceptibility to piperacillin-tazobactam was 143 (71.0%), ampicillin-sulbactam 114 (56.6%), co-amoxiclav 61 (30.2%) and ampicillin-cloxacillin 18 (9%). The Cochran Mantel Haenszel test showed that the effectiveness for each penicillin was associated significantly (p<0.05) with both the MSSA and MRSA. The combinations of piperacillin-tazobactam, ampicillin-sulbactam, co-amoxiclav and ampicillin-cloxacillin exhibited higher efficacy than using them alone to combat Staphylococcal infections.
Insights
Penicillin combinations effectively treat Staphylococcus aureus infections, including resistant strains. Piperacillin-tazobactam and ampicillin-sulbactam show high efficacy against methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA).
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of hospital-acquired infections in children.
- Treatment challenges arise from increasing numbers of resistant strains, particularly methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA).
- Penicillin combinations are explored to enhance treatment efficacy against diverse S. aureus strains.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of various penicillin combinations against methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) and MRSA.
- To identify optimal antibiotic strategies for treating S. aureus infections in pediatric patients.
- To assess the in vitro susceptibility patterns of S. aureus isolates to different penicillin formulations.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 17,452 clinical samples for S. aureus isolation.
- Identification and differentiation of MSSA and MRSA isolates.
- In vitro susceptibility testing of MSSA and MRSA against piperacillin-tazobactam, ampicillin-sulbactam, co-amoxiclav, and ampicillin-oxacillin/cloxacillin.
- Statistical analysis using the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test to determine significance.
Main Results:
- Out of 564 S. aureus strains, 362 were MSSA (64.2%) and 202 were MRSA (35.8%).
- MSSA showed high sensitivity to piperacillin-tazobactam (95.0%) and ampicillin-sulbactam (93.9%).
- MRSA exhibited susceptibility to piperacillin-tazobactam (71.0%) and ampicillin-sulbactam (56.6%), with significantly lower rates for co-amoxiclav and ampicillin-cloxacillin.
- Penicillin combinations demonstrated significantly higher efficacy (p<0.05) compared to individual agents against both MSSA and MRSA.
Conclusions:
- Penicillin combinations, particularly piperacillin-tazobactam and ampicillin-sulbactam, are effective against both MSSA and MRSA.
- These combinations offer a promising therapeutic approach for managing S. aureus infections in pediatric nosocomial settings.
- The study underscores the importance of combination therapy in overcoming antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:27Combined Effects of Drugs: Synergism
Such synergistic combinations...
01:28Antimicrobial Effectiveness
01:30Development of Antibiotic Resistance
01:23Antimicrobial Proteins
Interferons
Interferons (IFNs) are proteins produced by lymphocytes, macrophages, and fibroblasts infected with viruses. While IFNs cannot prevent viruses from entering and...
01:31Defense Against Bacterial Pathogens
Phagocytes
Phagocytes are the frontline soldiers of the immune system. They include neutrophils and macrophages. Neutrophils are the most abundant type of white blood cell and are quickly mobilized to the site of infection. Macrophages are larger cells that patrol...