Bhavsar R et al: Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern of MRSA www.jrmds.in Journal of Research in Medical and Dental Science | Vol. 3 | Issue 1 | January – March 2015 43 Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus isolated from various clinical samples at SSG hospital, Baroda Rachana Bhavsar*, N.J. Garala**, R.N. Garala**, Pooja Patel*, T.B. Javadekar***, Hiral Patel*, Jignasha Tadvi*, Krunal Mehta**** * Resident, *** Prof. & Head, Dept. of Microbiology, Government Medical College and SSG Hospital, Baroda, Gujarat **Asst. Professor, Dept. of Obs. & Gynec., Government Medical College, Rajkot, Gujarat ****Asst. Professor, Dept. of Microbiology, M. P. Shah Medical College, Jamnagar, Gujarat DOI: 10.5455/jrmds.20153110 ABSTRACT Background: Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important nosocomial pathogen causing significant mortality and morbidity. It is associated with a wide spectrum of infections ranging from mild skin and soft tissue infections to life threatening sepsis. Infected and colonized patients are the main reservoirs of infection and hand carriage by health care workers is the predominant mode of transmission. Aim: This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of MRSA and their susceptibility pattern at SSG hospital, Baroda. Materials and Methods: 150 isolates of Staphylococcus aureus were obtained from different clinical specimens from hospitalized patients. They were screened for methicillin resistance by standard laboratory procedures. Susceptibility to beta lactams, aminoglycosides, macrolides, fluoroquinolones, glycopeptides and Oxazolidinones were determined by disc diffusion method. Results: Among the 150 Staphylococcus aureus isolates studied, 65 (43.3%) were MRSA. Among the 65 MRSA isolates are 96.93% susceptible to Vancomycin, 100% susceptible to Linezolid and 35.39% susceptible to Gentamicin, 12.31% susceptible to Azithromycin; 32.31% susceptible to Clindamycin and 00% susceptible to penicillin, oxacillin & cefoxitin. Conclusion: The MRSA isolates were associated with a high degree of co-resistance to other groups of antimicrobial agents. Active screening and compliance with recommended infection control practices play an important role in the control of MRSA. Key words: MRSA, Antimicrobial tests, infection control INTRODUCTION Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common pathogens causing a variety of infections ranging from relatively benign skin infection to life threatening systemic illness such as pneumonia, endocarditic septic arthritis, subcutaneous or visceral abscesses [1]. Before the introduction of penicillin in the late 1940s, Staphylococcal septicemia was associated with an extremely high mortality rate. Penicillin dramatically improved the prognosis of this infection [2]. However, penicillin resistant strains were discovered shortly and penicillin became ineffective both in the hospital and community settings [3, 4]. The development of beta- lactamase penicillins such as methicillin and oxacillin in the early 1960s once again revolutionized the treatment of Staphylococcal infections. Within a year of the use of methicillin, methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains were reported worldwide and over the next few decades, MRSA has reached epidemic proportions [5, 6]. MRSA is a resistant variant of Staphylococcus aureus which has evolved an ability to survive treatment with beta antibiotics which includes penicillin, methicillin, cephalosporins and to various other groups of antimicrobial agents. Most isolates remain susceptible to Glycopeptides (Vancomycin, Teicoplanin), Oxazolidinones (linezolid), Streptograminins (quinupristin-dalfopristin), and polycyclic compounds Original Article