Nosocomial infection caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Palestine.
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).
Adwan
K
K
Department of Biological Sciences, An-Najah N. University, Nablus, Palestine. adwank@yahoo.com
Abu-Hasan
N
N
Adwan
G
G
Jarrar
N
N
Abu-Shanab
B
B
Abu-Zant
A
A
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