Prevalence of Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus and their Antibiotic Sensitivity Pattern from Various Clinical Samples

Coagulase Negative Staphylococci (CONS) have in the current years been increasingly incriminated as important pathogens. CONS are frequently implicated in various nosocomial infections, particularly blood stream infections and prosthetic infections. The present study was carried out to study the Coagulase Negative Staphylococci isolated from various clinical specimens and to determine their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. A total of 60 strains of CONS isolated in pure form or isolated twice from various clinical specimens were recruited for the study. All clinical specimens were processed as per the standard laboratory methods. Out of 83 culture positive specimens CONS spp. were isolated in 60 specimens. In the present study maximum isolates i.e 20% isolates were recovered from paediatric ward patients, followed by 18.3% isolates being isolated from patients admitted in ICU. Isolation of CONS was maximum from blood (45%), followed by pus (21.6%) and urine (20%). Predominance of Staphylococcus haemolyticus (25%) and Staphylococcus warneri (20%) was seen. Maximum resistance was seen for ampicillin (80%), followed by resistance for ciprofloxacin (74.3%), erythromycin (73.3%) and the minimum resistance was seen for tigecycline (5%). Methicillin resistant CONS isolates (MRCONS) were seen maximum in blood (p<0.05) followed by urine (p<0.05) and pus (p<0.05). CONS have now evolved as significant cause of nosocomial infections and are progressively showing increased resistance to beta-lactamase stable penicillins. Multidrug resistance patterns have also been reported in MRCONS and these can act as a reservoir for drug resistance in hospitals. Various levels of glycopeptide resistance have also been reported in these isolates.