[Isolation of Staphylococcus in Northern Norway. Identification and effects of antibacterial agents]

53 Staphylococcus aureus and 100 Staphylococcus epidermidis consecutive routine isolates were collected from hospitalized (H) and non-hospitalized (NH) patients in Northern Norway. A coagulase slide test for rapid identification of the cell-bound coagulase of S. aureus was just as sensitive as slower tests such as the tube test for free coagulase, anaerobic acid production from mannitol, and the DNase test. Close to 80% of S. aureus isolates showed beta-lactamase production. There was no difference in sensitivity between S. aureus strains isolated from H patients and NH patients respectively. All strains were sensitive to erythromycin, oxacillin, cephalothin, tetracyclin, trimethoprim, gentamicin, clindamycin, vancomycin, and rifampicin. Most isolates showed strong sensitivity to other cephalosporins than cephalothin (although less sensitive to 3. generation cephalosporins), fucidic acid and chloramphenicol. Thus, with exception of the first generation penicillins, in our region S. aureus is still strongly sensitive to most antimicrobial agents used both in hospital and in ambulatory practice. Approximately 50% of the 68 S. epidermidis isolates from urine showed beta-lactamase activity, as against almost 80% of other clinical specimens. Urine isolates were fairly often trimethoprim resistant (29.4%) and had a slightly higher resistance than S. aureus had to several antimicrobial agents. There was no difference in the resistance pattern among urinary isolates from H patients and from NH patients respectively. S. epidermidis isolates from 32 other clinical specimens from H patients showed a substantially higher pattern of resistance compared with urine isolates. Resistance against gentamicin was found in 40.6%, and against oxacillin in 9.4%. Gentamicin resistant strains were also resistant to several other broad spectrum agents. All strains were highly sensitive to vancomycin and clindamycin.