title: Slime production and antibiotic susceptibility in staphylococci isolated from clinical samples.
abstract: A total of 187 isolates from several clinical specimens were identified to species level as 129 Staphylococcus aureus strains and 58 coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) strains by the API Staph System (Biomerieux). Slime production was detected both by the conventional Christensen's method as well as by the Congo red agar method. Seventy-two strains of staphylococci isolates (38.5%) were found to be slime producers by Christensen's test tube method whereas 58 strains (31%) were slime positive with Congo red agar method. There was no statistically significant difference between the two methods for the detection of slime production (P > 0.05). Susceptibility of isolates against antimicrobial agents was tested by the disk diffusion method. Staphylococcal species had resistance to one or more antibiotics. Among the various antimicrobial agents, oxacillin (71.1%) and erythromycin (47.1%) showed higher resistance than most of the agents used against all isolates. Oxacillin resistant S. aureus (ORSA) and oxacillin resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (ORCNS), 97 (75.2%) and 36 (62.1%) respectively were frequently observed in strains isolated from clinical materials. Among the ORSA strains, two strains were resistant to vancomycin. Moreover, 96 (74.4%) of 129 S. aureus strains were positive for beta-lactamase enzyme. However, 78 (81.25%) of 96 beta-lactamase positive S. aureus strains were beta-lactamase positive ORSA isolates, but none of them had vancomycin resistance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Abant Izzet Baysal University, Turkey. arslan_s3@ibu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Seza
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ozkardes
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001618:beta-Lactamases