Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in AL-Yarmook teaching hospital-Baghdad

Abstract

AbstractNosocomial infection is a major problem in the world today. Methicillin- resistantStaphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains, usually resistant to several antibiotics and also intrinsicresistance to ß- lactam antibiotics, shows a particular ability to spread in hospitals and nowpresent in most of the countries. The present study was carried out to investigate the prevalenceof MRSA and their rate of resistance to different antistaphylococcal antibiotics.Between Decembers 2009and April 2011, the clinical specimens submitted at themicrobiology laboratory were processed and all Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) isolates wereincluded in this study.All isolates were identified morphologically and biochemically by standard laboratoryprocedures and antibiotic susceptibility pattern including oxacillin was determined by modifiedKirby Bauer disc diffusion method.Out of a total of 337 Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from various clinical samples,140(41.54%) were found to be Methicillin- resistant. Among MRSA isolates, 86(46.99%) werefrom different inpatient departments, whereas, 54 (35.06%) of the isolates were from outpatients.All MRSA were resistant to penicillin. About 70% of the MRSA strains were resistant tocephalexin, ciprofloxacin and cloxacillin ,while less than 10% of them were resistant to amikacinand tetracycline. Many MRSA strains were multidrug resistant. However, no strains wereresistant to vancomycin.This report showed a high prevalence of MRSA in Al-Yarmook hospital. To reduce theprevalence of MRSA, regular surveillance of hospital acquired infection and isolation is the needof the hour.