title: Antimicrobial resistance profile of Staphylococcus aureus isolates obtained from skin and soft tissue infections of outpatients from a university hospital in Recife -PE, Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Staphylococcus aureus has a notable ability to acquire resistance to antibiotics, and methicillin resistance represents a growing public health problem. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) has also become important outside the hospital environment, particularly in the United States. In Brazil, since 2005, cases of community skin infections caused by MRSA have been reported, but resistance studies involving outpatients are scarce.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To know the resistance profile of S. aureus involved in skin and soft tissue infections of patients seen at the Dermatology outpatient clinic of a university hospital in Recife, Pernambuco State, northeastern Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study involving 30 patients with skin and soft tissue infections, seen at the Dermatology outpatient clinic from May until November 2011. To evaluate the susceptibility of S. aureus to antibiotics, the disk diffusion method and oxacillin screening agar were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From a total of 30 samples of skin lesions, 19 (63%) had positive culture for S. aureus. The following resistance patterns of S. aureus were observed: penicillin, 95%; tetracycline, 32%; erythromycin, 21%; gentamicin, 16%; cefoxitin, 11%; oxacillin, 11%; trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, 11%; chloramphenicol, 11%; clindamycin, 5% ; and ciprofloxacin, 0%. One of the identified MRSA was obtained from a patient without risk factors for its acquisition, and was resistant, beyond to the beta-lactams, only to tetracycline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With regard to the resistance patterns of S. aureus, resistances to tetracycline, erythromycin and gentamicin were the highest. It was documented, for the first time in Pernambuco, a case of skin infection caused by community-associated MRSA.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE) - Recife (PE), Brazil. fabianacaraciolo@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Fabiana Beserra
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Caraciolo
authors.forename: Maria Amélia Vieira
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Maciel
authors.forename: Josemir Belo dos
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Marcelle Aquino
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rabelo
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Magalhães
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013207:Staphylococcal Skin Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D055815:Young Adult; D047090:beta-Lactams / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D047090:beta-Lactams