Objective: To investigate the antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus isolates obtained from inpatients of departments of internal medicine, surgery, and pediatrics and intensive care unit (ICU), and study on the differences of resistant rates among the clinical isolates.
Methods: The strains of Staphylococcus aureus were cultured and their antimicrobial resistance was assayed by disc diffusion test (K-B method) and the data was analyzed by WHO NET 5 software. chi(2) test was made to identify the significance of difference.
Results: 2 625 strains of Staphylococcus aureus were obtained from the clinical departments of 60 hospitals all over China, among which 1 669 strains (63.3%) were obtained from the inpatients of departments of internal medicine, surgery, and pediatrics and ICU from 1 January to 31 December 2001. Most of the strains were isolated from sputum (34.3%, 572/1 669), secretion (13.2%, 221/1 669), pus (11.7%, 195/1 669), blood (10.2%, 171/1 669), and wound (5.6%, 94/1 669). The resistant rates of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from the inpatients in department pediatrics of to oxacillin, gentamicin, clindamycin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and chloramphenicol were 23.3%, 16.1%, 29.3%, 11.2%, 4.0% and 14.4% respectively, all significantly lower than those of the isolates from the inpatients of the departments of internal medicine and surgery, and ICU (all P < 0.001). The resistant rates of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from the inpatients of departments of internal medicine and surgery to oxacillin, gentamicin, clindamycin, ciprofloxacin, and levofloxacin were significantly lower than those of isolates from the patients of ICU (all P < 0.001).
Conclusion: A high isolation rate of multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus among the inpatients of departments of internal medicine, surgery, and pediatrics and ICU. It is important to select appropriate antimicrobial agents based on the origin of bacterial strains and avoid blindness before the results of drug sensitivity are obtained.