SPECIATION AND RESISTOTYPING OF COAGULASE NEGATIVE STAPHYLOCOCCI FROM CLINICAL SAMPLES: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY AT TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL FROM CENTRAL INDIA

Abstract

Background: Negative coagulase Consisting of native bacteria found on human skin and mucous membranes, staphylococci (CONS). They were hardly ever known to produce serious infections and were long thought to be non-pathogenic. However, CONS have emerged as the primary cause of nosocomial blood stream infections, accounting for 9% of all nosocomial infections, as a result of a combination of rising intravascular device use and a rise in the number of hospitalized immunocompromised patients. The organisms causing these illnesses are resistant to many drugs, making treatment challenging.

Objective: Coagulase-negative Staphylococci are isolated, identified, and speciated from a variety of clinical specimens, and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern is examined.

Material and Methods: 200 strains of CONS were identified from exudates, urine, and blood of clinically confirmed cases using established identification techniques, out of 2560 samples obtained for this investigation. Using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method, the isolated strain's antibiotic susceptibility was evaluated.

Results: S. epidermidis (59%), S. saprophyticus (29%), S. haemolyticus (9%), S. xylosus (2%) and S. capitis (1%), were the most frequently isolated CONS species. Maximum amounts of S. saprophyticus (74.19%) and S. epidermidis (72%), respectively, were isolated from exudates and urine. According to the tests for antibiotic susceptibility, vancomycin was the most effective medication, followed by ciprofloxacin. CONS with methicillin resistance were 38%.

Conclusion: S. epidermidis was the most often isolated species, indicating that it is a significant pathogen and not only a commensal. The fact that S. saprophyticus was the most often isolated urine pathogen suggests that it is a prevalent urinary pathogen. Methicillin resistance is a major issue that requires careful consideration and in-depth research, and the antibiotic resistance pattern in CONS poses a serious concern to practitioners.

Key Words: Antibiotic susceptibility, clinical isolates, coagulase negative staphylococci, identification.