title: Survey of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci in the hospitals of central Greece.
abstract: A sample of 450 consecutive, non-replicated coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), collected from clinical specimens during the period 2000-2001 from the five major hospitals of Thessaly district (Central Greece) were investigated for resistance to methicillin. Most of the isolates had been collected in a sporadic fashion from the intensive care units and the surgical wards of the participating hospitals. The majority of the isolates (76%) were Staphylococcus epidermidis (50%), Staphylococcus haemolyticus (14.8%) and Staphylococcus hominis (11.1%). All 316 isolates (70%) were classified as resistant according to NCCLS breakpoints (MIC > or =0.5 mg/l); 268 (59.5%) of them were mecA-positive in a PCR-based assay. All isolates with MIC > or =8 mg/l carried the gene, while, only 23.8% of isolates with MIC, 0.5-4 mg/l were carriers. Only 9% of the mecA-positive isolates were found to be sensitive to various non-beta-lactams, while 41.8% of the isolates were resistant to more than three antimicrobial groups apart from beta-lactams. Molecular typing by PFGE showed apparent heterogeneity among isolates of each species and the absence of predominant clones.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Papakiriazi 17, Larissa, Greece
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Petinaki
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kontos
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Miriagou
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maniati
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hatzi
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Maniatis
mesh_terms: D003030:Coagulase / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005838:Genotype; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008712:Methicillin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016106:Methicillin Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D003030:Coagulase; D010406:Penicillins; D008712:Methicillin