title: Antimicrobial resistance of coagulase-negative staphylococci from a Kuwait hospital.
abstract: This study investigated the incidence of antimicrobial resistance in clinically significant coagulase-negative staphylococci at the Mubarak Al Kabeer Hospital, Kuwait. A total of 104 isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci consisting of S. epidermidis (67), S. haemolyticus (16), S. saprophyticus (6), S. simulans (2), S. hominis (4), S. albus (2), S. sciuri (3), S. warneri (2), S. capitis (1), and S. xylosus (1) were isolated from clinical specimens over a 6-7 month period and tested for resistance to 22 antibacterial agents and the ability to produce slime. They were all susceptible to vancomycin and mupirocin but intermediate resistance to teicoplanin was detected in seven isolates: 83 and 47.7% were resistant to penicillin G and methicillin, respectively, 57% were resistant to gentamicin, 49.5% to erythromycin, 50.4% to tetracycline, and 52.3% to trimethoprim. Resistance to heavy metals and the nucleic-acid binding compound was also detected. More than half of S. epidermidis, S. saprophyticus, S. simulans, S. hominis, and all of S. haemolyticus were multiply resistant to three or more groups of antibiotics and there was a significant association between slime production and resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents in S. epidermidis. The results revealed a high level of resistance to commonly used agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait.
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Udo
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Chugh
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000382:microbiology; D003030:Coagulase / Q000032:analysis*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007730:Kuwait; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D003030:Coagulase