Screening of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Carriage among Health Care Workers and Its Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Background and Objectives: Staphylococcus aureus infections especially MRSA infections are an important cause of nosocomial infections worldwide and multidrug resistance is also very commonly seen in these infections. In a healthcare setup, these infections can be acquired through the hands, clothes, and equipments of health care workers. Hence, this study was conducted to see the percentage of MRSA carriage among healthcare workers and to study their antibiotic susceptibility pattern. Materials and Methods: Nasal swabs collected from various categories of Healthcare workers were subjected to processing in the Bacteriology section of Microbiology lab, GMC Jammu. Staphylococcus aureus identification was done according to the standard procedures of the lab. Cefoxitin disc was used for the identification of MRSA strains. Results: A total of 240 volunteers participated in the study. Among the samples screened 38 (16%) were MRSA, 28 (12%) were MSSA. In 172 (72%) no colonization was seen. Highest prevalence of MRSA was seen among Nurses 18 (27%), followed by Laboratory Technicians 10 (15%), Doctors 6 (9%) and Paramedics 4 (6%). Vancomycin and Linezolid were the most sensitive drugs showing 100 % sensitivity. Penicillin was 100 % resistant. Conclusion: A study of MRSA carriage among healthcare workers can help in framing proper and timely antibiotic policies in our hospital which would further stop the emergence of multidrug resistant organism and also guide us in decreasing the prevalence of nosocomial infections. Keywords: MRSA, Healthcare workers.