Emerging Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococcus and Spectrum of Oral Oxazolidinone Linezolid in Multidrug Resistant Staphylococcus in a Tertiary Care Hospital

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Staphylococcus species is an asymptomaticcolonizer which has exhibited increasing resistance to variousantimicrobial agents in the recent times. Although, theorganism was naturally susceptible to all the antimicrobialagents, it has acquired multi drug resistance via variousmechanisms. In view of rising prevalence antimicrobialresistance, this study was undertaken to study the prevalenceof methicillin resistance and the emergence of linezolidresistance amongst the Staphylococcal isolates obtained fromvarious clinical samples in a tertiary care hospital.Material and Methods: This study was conducted from July2017 to December 2018 in a tertiary care hospital. Clinicalspecimens were processed, and Staphylococcal isolateswere identified using standard microbiological techniques.Antimicrobial resistance pattern of all the Staphylococcalisolates was determined and interpreted as per the latest CLSIguidelines.Results: A total of 989 Staphylococcal isolates were obtainedamongst which 498 (49.44%) were found to be methicillinresistant. Highest antimicrobial resistance was observedto beta lactam antibiotics followed by azithromycin andfluoroquinolones. 26 (2.628%) strains of Staphylococcalspecies were found to be resistant to linezolid while theyretained sensitivity to Vancomycin.Conclusion: The emergence of drug resistance in variousmicroorganisms has been a cause of global concern. Risingtrend of resistance has been observed to methicillin andlinezolid especially in indoor patients of the Intensive careunits. This study highlights the high prevalence of Methicillinresistance in both Staphylococcus aureus and Coagulasenegative Staphylococcus species in a tertiary care hospital inAmritsar, India. Although, linezolid resistance is emerging at aslow pace, adequate measures must be undertaken to preservethe therapeutic armoury.