Prevalence and Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Isolated from Pus Specimens in a Tertiary Care Hospital

INTRODUCTION: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are implicated in serious infections and nosocomial outbreaks. The choices of treatment are reduced, as they are resistant to various antibiotics. The prevalence of MRSA is growing throughout the world and its prevalence varies according to the region. This study was carried out to evaluate the prevalence rate and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of MRSA isolated from pus specimens in a tertiary care hospital, RIMS Ranchi. METERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was carried out from February 2018 - July 2018 (6 months) in the Department of Microbiology, RIMS, Ranchi. Pus samples received from indoor and out door patients for culture and sensitivity examination and Staphylococcus aureus was identified using standard laboratory procedure. Then methicillin resistant strains were detected using cefoxitin (30µg) disc and their antibiotic susceptibility testing was done by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method and interpreted as per CLSI 2018guidelines. Results: A total of 309 pus specimen were collected, out of which 224 (72.49 %) were culture positive. Of the 224 culture positive pus sample 87 (38.84 %) were identified as Staphylococcus aureus. Of the 87 strain of Staphylococcus aureus, 54 (62.06 %) were found to be methicillin resistant, while the rest of the 33 Strains were methicillin susceptible. Resistance to other antibiotics were more encountered in methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus strains (MRSA) when compared with methicillin susceptible staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) strains. However, no Staphylococcus aureus isolate was found resistant to linezolid and vancomycin. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: It is worrisome that the present study reports an alarmingly high prevalence (62.06 %) of MRSA infection. Continuous surveillance of infection and monitoring of antibiotic sensitivity pattern of Staphylococcus aureus isolates is required to reduce MRSA prevalence.