Abstract

DETECTION OF METHICILLIN RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS NASAL CARRIER AND POST-SURGICAL WOUNDS INFECTION RATES IN MAJOR HOSPITALS IN KHARTOUM, SUDAN

Khalid A. Abdelhalim* and Moustafa B. Ahamed

Abstract

Background: Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization is an important risk factor for developing a wide range of infections in clinical setting. Staphylococcus aureus is the single most important organism causing approximately (66.7%) of post-surgical site infection. The aim of this study is to determine the extent of Staphylococcal carriage including methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in post-surgical patients and hospital personnel in the major hospitals in Khartoum state. Materials and Methods: Between February and April a total of 110 subjects, 80 were post-surgical patients and 30 were hospital personnel at the three major hospitals in Khartoum, Sudan. A nasal swab specimens were collected from the personnel and post-surgical wound swab were collected from the site of the infected wound were immediately transferred to microbiology laboratory to be analyzed accordingly and screened for MRSA. Results: The totals of S. aureus isolated in this study from post-surgical patients were found to be high (69.1%) and (40.8%) were Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The age group (10-19) years was found to have the highest rate of infection with S. aureus (37.5%) and (66.7%) were found to be MRSA. Of those postsurgical wound infected with S. aureus, only two were identified as an Oxacillin sensitive (2.6%). Approximately (98%) of MRSA were sensitive to Ciprofloxacin and Vancomycin.

Keywords: MRSA, Staphylococcus aureus, S. aureus, wound infection, post-surgical wound, sensitivity.