PREVALENCE OF MRSA AMONG CLINICAL ISOLATES AND THEIR ANTIBIOGRAM IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

BACKGROUND Methicillin resistance staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most serious contemporary challenges to the treatment of hospital acquired infections, because of its global spread prevalence. We aimed to screen the prevalence and assess the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of MRSA from clinical specimens in a tertiary care hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 210 Staphylococcal strains were collected from different clinical samples and 165 isolates were identified as Staphylococcus aureus and subjected to MRSA screening using standard methods. Subsequently, the antibiotic sensitivity test was performed for the confirmed MRSA and MSSA isolates. RESULTS Our study showed 32.12% of S. aureus infections were MRSA. All clinical MRSA strains (100%) were resistant to penicillin, 84.9% to ciprofloxacin, 79.2% to ampicillin and 62.2% towards gentamicin and erythromycin, 60% to cefotaxime, 45.28% to amikacin and 28.3% to linezolid. However, all strains of clinical subjects were sensitive to vancomycin. CONCLUSION Knowledge of prevalence and antibiotic sensitivity pattern of MRSA will help the treating clinicians for formulation of definite antibiotic policy and restricts the use of higher antibiotics.