Antibiotic resistance profile: isolation and characterization of clinical isolates of staphylococci from patients with community-acquired skin infections

Although most bacterial infections of the skin bear out to be minor in nature, a few such dermatologic entities are major, to the spot of yet being fatal. The mortality rate is usually up to 30% to 50% and depends upon the type of infection, original disease, and resistant type. In this study hundred and five bacterial strains were isolated from skin wounds, burns and acne patients from hospitals at different locations in the cosmopolitan city of Karachi. These bacterial strains were identified by conventional methods. Seventy two percent [72%] of total isolated organisms were found to be Staphylococcus aureus while the remaining thirty three percent [33%] were Staphylococcus epidermidis. The antibiotic resistance of identified organisms was carried out by disc-diffusion method with commercially available disc of five antibiotics having different mode of actions such as cell wall synthesis inhibitors, membrane permeability alternatives and DNA synthesis inhibitors. Staphylococcus aureus show more resistant to these antibiotics as compared to Staphylococcus epidermidis. The most effective antibiotic for Staphylococcus aureus is vancomycin showing 80.5% efficacy, then methicillin with 68.0% efficacy, erythromycin with 55.6% efficacy, novobiocin with 54.1% efficacy and then bacitracin with 25.0% efficacy. The most effective antibiotic for Staphylococcus epidermidis is methicillin showing 84.8% efficacy, then vancomycin with 81.2% efficacy, novobiocin with 63.6% efficacy, erythromycin with 42.4% efficacy and then bacitracin with 27.8% efficacy