title: Nasal carriage and antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus among medical students at the HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Medical Center, Thailand: a cross sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the epidemiology of the nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus and its susceptibility pattern among preclinical medical students at the HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Medical Center, Srinakharinwirot University.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nasal swabs were taken from 128 preclinical medical students prior to working at the hospital. Susceptibility testing of S. aureus was performed using Kirby Bauer's disc diffusion method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 128 participants, 38/128 (29.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI]=21.8%, 37.6%) were carriers of S. aureus. No methicillin-resistant S. aureus was detected by the cefoxitin disk diffusion test. Resistance of S. aureus to erythromycin, clindamycin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol and fusidic acid was observed at the following rates: 63.2% (95% CI; 47.8%, 78.5%), 63.2% (95% CI; 47.8%, 78.5%), 34.2% (95% CI; 19.1%, 49.3%), 2.6% (95% CI; -2.5%, 7.7%) and 2.6% (95% CI; -2.5%, 7.7%), respectively. There was no statistically significant correlation between nasal carriage of S. aureus and possible risk factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of asymptomatic nasal carriage of S. aureus was higher than reported by previous literature in Thailand, and S. aureus isolates exhibited relatively high resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, Thailand. Trees_ar@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Arucha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Treesirichod
authors.forename: Sumalee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hantagool
authors.forename: Olarn
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Prommalikit
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000382:microbiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013337:Students, Medical; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents