Prevalence Of Coagulase Negative Staphylococcal Species And Their Antibiotic Resistance Pattern At Tertiary Care Rural Hospital

Background & objective: CONS species have been recognized as etiological agents in wide variety of infections especially in immunocompromised patients, patients with indwelling or implanted foreign bodies. Furthermore, there is increasing rates of antibiotic resistance which varies within species of CONS and limits therapeutic options .Hence the present study was undertaken to determine common CONS species isolated from clinically significant specimens and to evaluate antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of these species. Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out from September, 2016 to September, 2018in which 200 CONS isolates from clinically significant samples were identified upto species level by conventional phenotypic methods. Antibiotic Susceptibility profile was studied by Kirby Bauer Disk Diffusion method with special emphasis on methicillin & clindamycin resistance. Result: Total 9 species were isolated, the most common being S. epidermidis(40%) followed by S. haemolyticus (25%) , S. schleiferi (11%) and most commonly from blood ,pus,urine.Overall there was high rate of resistance to penicillin & erythromycin(60%)and all were sensitive to vancomycin & linezolid.66% isolates were methicillin resistant CONS of which 18.18% showed iMLSB phenotype. Conclusion: Species identification of CONS is important because of rising clinical importance and variation in antibiotic resistance pattern within species. Accuracy and promptness in the detection of species wise antibiotic resistance pattern will help in understanding definitive therapy for CONS.