Methicillin resistance among Staphylococci isolated from neonatal septicemic patients

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin resistant coagulase negative staphylococci (MR-CONS) are the major nosocomial pathogens in Neonatal Intensive Care Units. St. aureus and CONS were isolated from neonatal septicemic cases during October 2001 to August 2003, and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using Kirby Bauer's disc diffusion technique. Among 161 isolates of St. aureus and 118 of CONS, 39.1 and 21.2% respectively were resistant to methicillin. More than 82% of MRSA were found to be resistant to ciprofloxain, co-trimaxazole, erythromycin, gentamycin, penicillin and 15% of MR-CONS were resistant to the antibiotics tested. More than 68% of MRSA and 80% of MR-CONS were sensitive to netilmycin and ofloxacin. However, no strain (MRSA and MR-CONS) was resistant to vancomycin. Therefore, when antimicrobials other than vancomycin are considered for therapy, in-vitro susceptibility test of every isolate of MRSA and MR-CONS is essential.