ABSTRACT
Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common pathogens in nosocomial infections. Vancomycin is the most important therapeutic drug of choice for treatment of infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA] strains. Therefore, vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [VRSA] or vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus [VISA] strains are warnings for the medical community. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of vancomycin resistance in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from the nose of patients hospitalized in Imam Reza Hospital, Kermanshah, Iran. In the present study, 85 strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from patients in Imam Reza Hospital and evaluated for vancomycin resistance with microdilution test, Epsilometer test [E-test], and polymerase chain reaction [PCR]. None of the strains were completely resistant to vancomycin; however, 39 strains [45.9%] were diagnosed as hetero-VRSA [hVISA] strains. VISA and VRSA strains were not observed in this study which is a promising finding in the treatment of clinical infections due to Staphylococcus aureus in our society. However, in our study, the prevalence of hVISA strain was 45.9%, which is perhaps a sign of the appearance of more resistant strains [VISA and VRSA] in our country in the future