title: Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a multicentre study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important nosocomial pathogen. We report the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of MRSA in major southern districts of Tamilnadu.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 7172 clinical specimens and 1725 carrier screening samples were collected from different centers and subjected to MRSA screening using conventional microbiological methods. Subsequently the antibiotic sensitivity test was performed for the confirmed MRSA isolates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 906 strains of S. aureus isolated from clinical and carrier samples, 250 (31.1%) and 39 (37.9%) were found to be methicillin resistant respectively. Almost all clinical MRSA strains (99.6%) were resistant to penicillin, 93.6% to ampicillin, and 63.2% towards gentamicin, co-trimoxazole, cephalexin, erythromycin, and cephotaxime. All MRSA strains (100%) of carrier screening samples had resistance to penicillin and about 71.8% and 35.9% were resistant to ampicillin and co-trimoxazole respectively. Multidrug resistance was observed among 63.6% of clinical and 23% of carrier MRSA isolates. However, all strains of clinical and carrier subjects were sensitive to vancomycin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The determination of prevalence and antibiotic sensitivity pattern of MRSA will help the treating clinicians for first line treatment in referral hospitals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Dr. GR Damodaran College of science, Coimbatore- 641 014, Tamilnadu, India. rajaduaripandi2003@yahoo.com
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rajaduraipandi
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Mani
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Panneerselvam
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bhaskar
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Manikandan
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents