PREVALENCE AND ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY PATTERN OF METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS STRAINS ISOLATED FROM DIFFERENT CLINICAL SPECIMENS AT KHYBER TEACHING HOSPITAL, PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Methicillin-Resistant S. Aureus (MRSA) strains isolated from different clinical specimens referred for routine culture and sensitivity testing.METHODOLOGY: A cross sectional study was conducted in which 642 consecutive clinical isolates of staphylococcus aureus were collected from various clinical specimens at Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar from January 2017 to September 2017. All the isolates were identified as per Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guideline. S.aureus isolates then were screened for MRSA by using Cefoxitin (30ug) disc. The antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of MRSA to ten commonly used antibiotics were determined by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Data were coded, entered and analyzed using SPSS version 22 and MS. Excel.RESULTS: A total of 642 clinical of Staphylococcus aureus were studied, out of which 148 (23.05%) were found positive for MRSA, among which the highest number was recovered from wound pus specimens 93 (62.4%) and least number was collected from blood 1 (0.7%). The frequency of MRSA was more in female 82 (55.4%) than in male 66 (44.59%). Out of these total MRSA, the greatest percentage were recovered from the patient of OPD 39.6%, and least percentage of MRSA isolates were recovered from ENT Ward and Burn Unit (0.7%). These MRSA strains also showed various degrees of resistance to Ciprofloxacin (84.45%), Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (77.02%), Erythromycin (69.59%), Gentamicin (64.86%), Amikacin (58.10%), Clindamycin (34.45%), Doxycycline (31.75%), Linezolid (10.13%) and minimum resistant were found against Vancomycin (5.4%).CONCLUSION: In the present study, the prevalence of MRSA infection in KTH, Peshawar was 23.05%. Pus/abscess is the main source of MRSA than other samples in hospital settings. Vancomycin, Linezolid and Doxycycline showed best chemotherapeutic activity against MRSA infections. KEY WORDS: Staphylococcus aureus; MRSA; Prevalence; Antibiotic susceptibilit