Screening of staphylococus aureus as NASAL carrier from hospital personnel of shree Birendra hospital, Chhauni

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common human pathogen and is capable of causing wide range of infections in human. S. aureus is the normal flora of the nasal cavity which is carried in the nose of about 40% of healthy people. S. aureus as a nasal carrier has been identified as a risk factor for community acquired and nosocomial infection. The present study was conducted from June 2007 to December 2007 to screen out S. aureus as nasal carrier from hospital personnel of Shree Birendra Hospital Chhauni. All together 264 nasal swab samples were collected from hospital personnel of different wards. All nasal swab samples were cultured on Mannitol Salt Agar and suspected isolates were identified as S. aureus. Antibiotic susceptibility test of the isolated S. aureus was done by Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method.

Among 65 isolates of S. aureus from nasal swabs; 27.02% (47/174) isolates were from males and 20% (18/90) were from females. The distribution of S. aureus as a nasal carrier between male and female was not statistically significant (P = 0.21). In both male and female, the highest prevalence (31.66%) of nasal carrier of S. aureus was found in the age group of 26-30 years. Among hospital personnel, maximum nasal carrier rate was found in nursing assistant 33.87% (21/62) followed by intern doctors 31.82% (7/22) and medical trainee 27.59% (16/58). Regarding the department wise distribution of nasal carrier, highest nasal carrier rate of S. aureus was from Medical III 53.84% (7/13) followed by orthopedic 50% (2/4) and surgical officer cabin 42.85% (6/14). The isolates S. aureus showed highest resistant to amoxicillin (76.9%) followed by penicillin (38.5%), cotrimoxazole (21.5%), gentamycin (13.8%), erythromycin (9.2%), ciprofloxacin (9.2%), chloramphenicol (4.6%) and least towards tetracycline (3.1%). Out of 65, only 20% (n=13) S. aureus isolates were multi-drug resistant (MDR) and highest number of MDR S. aureus was isolated from Intensive Care Unit 75% (n=3). No methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was found among the isolates of S. aureus.

Multidrug Resistant (MDR) S. aureus was found but methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was not found among the isolates. However, regular monitoring of methicillin sensitivity should be carried out.

Keywords: S. aureus, MDR, MRSA, Nasal carrier, Shree Birendra Hospital