فهرست نشریات علمی دسترسی آزاد ایران

Background and Objectives: Staphylococcus aureus resistant to methicillin is a major and important pathogen in causing disease and death in Iran and the world. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of the methicillin resistance gene and examine the antimicrobial sensitivity patterns of various strains of S. aureus.   Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted from April to September 2023. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains were identified using both phenotypic and molecular methods. The antibiotic resistance patterns of the MRSA isolates were analyzed using the disk diffusion method on seven antibiotics, in accordance with CLSI protocol.   Results: A total of 120 S. aureus samples were collected from patients hospitalized in various departments of Imam Ahvaz Hospital. These included 59 blood culture samples, 25 wound samples, 27 body fluid samples, and 7 catheter samples. Among the isolates, 9 (7.5%) were classified as susceptible, 76 (63.3%) as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), and 9 as semi-susceptible. All 76 MRSA isolates were tested for susceptibility to several antibiotics, including ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, linezolid, gentamicin, erythromycin, and azithromycin. Additionally, molecular identification of the mecA gene in the 76 S. aureus strains revealed that 73 of them carried the mecA gene.   Conclusion: The high prevalence of S. aureus samples can be attributed to the prolonged hospital stays of patients in the ward and the excessive use of antibiotics for infection treatment, which has resulted in increased resistance among isolates. Therefore, it is essential to improve monitoring in the hospital's infection control department and encourage the appropriate use of antibiotics.