Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus in a super specialty hospital.

Introduction: Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of infection, and methicillin-resistant strains are increasingly being reported worldwide. This study was carried out to evaluate the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of methicillin-resistant strains of S. aureus, isolated from clinical specimens from a super specialty hospital in Delhi. Materials and Methods: The study comprised of 80 strains of S. aureus isolated from various clinical specimens. From these isolates, methicillin-resistant strains were screened, and their susceptibility pattern to vancomycin, teicoplanin, daptomycin, and linezolid was detected using standard microbiological techniques. Results: Of the 80 strains, 53 strains were found to be methicillin resistant while the rest of the 27 strains were methicillin-susceptible. Four among the 53 strains were linezolid resistant, and eight were vancomycin-intermediate. Of the 8 strains, two were teicoplanin intermediate, and one was teicoplanin resistant. All the 53 strains were sensitive to daptomycin. Conclusion: In the current study, daptomycin was found to be the only drug to which all the isolates were susceptible. However, daptomycin resistance has also been reported from elsewhere. Therefore, all the recommended measures to control the emergence and spread of these strains must be followed strictly in all health-care systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]