Prevalence of methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus in Rashid hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalence of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and its antibiotic susceptibility at Rashid hospital in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted among patients at Rashid hospital in Dubai, U.A.E. from January-December 2021. Isolates were put in blood and McConckey agars and gram- positive cocci in clusters were identified then incubated in a highly automated system called VITEK®2 to identify Staphylococcus aureus and its antibiotic susceptibility. RESULTS: Out of 665 samples of S. aureus isolates, MRSA were 236 (35.5%) while 429 (64.5%) were Methicillin Sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus (MSSA). Among male patients, the highest frequency MSSA & MRSA isolation was observed in the age bracket of 40-49 years (n=64/285; 22.4%) and 50-59 years (n=31/160; 19.4%) respectively. Smilarly, in females the highest frequency MSSA & MRSA isolation was observed in the age range of 20-29 years (n=24/144; 16.7%) and 60-69 years (n=13/76; 17.1%) respectively. MSSA was most commonly isolated from 269 (62.7%) wound sites. The MRSA demonstrated resistance to most of the antibiotics with highest resistance towards Ciprofloxacin 103 (44%) and Fusidic acid 100 (42%). Among different antibiotics, the isolates remained highly susceptible to linezolid, tigecycline, teicoplanin, rifampicin and vancomycin. CONCLUSION: the retrospective study at Rashid Hospital in Dubai identified a notable prevalence of MRSA (35.5%) and MSSA (64.5%), predominant in male patients. Age-specific patterns revealed higher frequencies of MSSA and MRSA isolations in distinct age brackets. MRSA displayed resistance to several antibiotics, emphasizing the need for judicious antimicrobial management in this healthcare setting.