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Multi-drug resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> isolated from emergency ward of an Iranian hospital


Koorosh Ahmadi
Hossein Zakeri
Hamid Zamani Moghadam Doloo
Behrang Rezvani Kakhki
Ali Mohammadshahi
Mostafa Alavi-Moghaddam
Amir Masoud Hashemian

Abstract

Purpose: To study the prevalence of resistant strains of S. aureus isolated from surfaces, beds and various equipment of an Iranian hospital emergency ward.
Methods: Two hundred swab samples were collected from the surfaces, beds, trolleys, surgical equipment and diagnostic medical devices in emergency ward. Samples were cultured and those that were S. aureus-positive were confirmed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Antimicrobial resistance pattern was analyzed using disk diffusion method.
Results: Nine of 200 samples (4.5 %) collected were positive for S. aureus. Surfaces (8.8 %), beds (5 %) and trolleys (5 %) were the most commonly contaminated. S. aureus isolates exhibited varying levels of resistance against antibiotics with the following being the highest: tetracycline (88.8 %), penicillin (88.8 %) and ampicillin (77.7 %). The prevalence of resistance against methicillin, oxacillin and azithromycin were 44.4, 33.3 and 33.3 %, respectively. There was no pattern of resistance against imipenem.
Conclusion: Efficient disinfection of surfaces, beds, trolleys and surgical instruments should be performed periodically to reduce colonization of resistant strains of S. aureus in various areas of emergency health care centers.

Keywords: Staphylococcus aureus, Nocosomial infection, Antibiotic resistance, Hospital equipment, Emergency ward


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eISSN: 1596-9827
print ISSN: 1596-5996