title: Nosocomial infection caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Palestine.
abstract: This report presents the prevalence of Palestinian isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in nosocomial infections and their antibiotic resistant pattern. A total of 321 clinical isolates of S. aureus were identified from different patients. The prevalence of methicillin resistance among S. aureus isolates was 8.7% (28 isolates). Resistance rates of MRSA to other antibiotics were as follows: 82.1% resistant to erythromycin, 67.9% to clindamycin, 64.3% to gentamicin, and 32.1% to ciprofloxacin. No co-trimoxazole- and vancomycin-resistant isolates were identified in this study. The proportion of methicillin resistance was highest among S. aureus isolates associated with upper respiratory specimens (42.8%); the proportion of methicillin resistance was 39.3% among skin ulcer isolates, 10.7% among urinary tract infection isolates, and lowest among isolates associated with blood and prostate discharge (3.6% each).
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, An-Najah N. University, Nablus, Palestine. adwank@yahoo.com
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Adwan
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abu-Hasan
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Adwan
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jarrar
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Abu-Shanab
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abu-Zant
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D015995:Prevalence; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology