Abstract

ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY PATTERN OF METHICILLIN RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS IN HOSPITALIZED WOUND PATIENTS IN SELECTED TERTIARY HOSPITALS IN ENUGU METROPOLIS

Chidimma Maureen Chukwueze, Theophilus Kachi Udeani,
*Emmanuel Ifeanyi Obeagu and Nneka Asogwa

ABSTRACT

Staphylococcus aureusis a global pathogenthat is closely associated with an increasing antibiotics resistance profile. Over the years, S. aureus has established itself as a major cause of morbidity and mortality both within the community and in clinical settings especially in wound infections. MRSA in particular has been a major cause of wound infections resulting in increased hospital stay and healthcare cost. This study was aimed to evaluate the antibiotics susceptibility pattern of Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from different wound infections in hospitalized patients in selected hospitals within Enugu metropolis. A total of 385 samples comprising mainly of wound swabs were collected using Levine’s technique and cultured on blood agar, macconkey agar and mannitol salt agar. S. aureus was identified based on their conventional cultural characteristics, gram staining reactions and biochemical tests. All the isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility by disk diffusion method according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines on Mueller Hinton agar. A total of 188 strains of Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from 385 wound specimens (48.8% prevalence rate). 86 (22.3%) of the isolates were Methicillin resistant S. aureus and 102(26.5%) being methicillin susceptibility S. aureus (MSSA) respectively. The prevalence rate of MRSA according to the gender of the participants was 37(9.6%) for males and 49(12.7%) for the females with a mean age of 31.77. Generally, the isolates showed the highest resistance to Ampicillin(100%) Penicillin(100%) and Cefoxitin (100%) and were moderately sensitive to Clindamycin(52.3%) and Gentamycin(54.7%). Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 25.0 package and this showed no significant difference (P >0.05). This study highlighted the increasing antibiotic resistance of MRSA, thus the need to adopt new strategies in the treatment of S. aureus is of paramount importance.

Keywords: Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, Hospitalized Wound Patients, Tertiary Hospitals.