Abstract
The objective of the present work was to observe and profile various antibiotic resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus and highlight the need for continuous surveillance. Data regarding antibiotic-resistant S. aureus strains isolated and identified at the Medical Microbiology Department, King Khalid Hospital, Riyadh was obtained. Bacterial isolates were collected from several sites of infections in patients and an evaluation of susceptibility were carried out using a fully automated Vitek2 system. Relative frequency (%), odds ratios and Ward's minimum variance were calculated. The results showed that wounds were a source of more than 40% of the S. aureus (MRSA) strains that have ability to resist methicillin, and more than 45% of the methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (non-MRSA) strains. 40% of the isolates were MRSA (N = 251), and all MRSA strains were sensitive to vancomycin, daptomycin, teicoplanin, tigecycline, nitrofurantoin, and itraconazole while all non-MRSA (N = 338) strains were sensitive to vancomycin, cefoxitin, daptomycin, gentamicin, oxacillin, teicoplanin, tigecycline, and mupirocin. Strength of association between antibiotic-resistant S. aureus strains and source of samples (site of infection) was established. The study concluded that S. aureus strains had developed resistance towards 20 (for non-MRSA) and 22 (for MRSA) of the antibiotics tested. All MRSA strains were non-sensitive to amoxicillin/clavulanate, ampicillin cefoxitin, cefazolin, imipenem, oxacillin, and penicillin.