Abstract
Healthcare professionals (HCPs) are liable to pathogenic microorganisms infection/colonization, which plays an important role as a potential source of transmission to patients, coworkers, relatives and communities. The present study evaluates the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus colonization in HCPs who work at a reference hospital in Recife, PE, and the isolates profiles of susceptibility to antimicrobial drugs. A cross-sectional study was undertaken, and HCPs from operating rooms, intensive care units (ICUs), hemodialysis and nephrology units of the Clinical Hospital of Pernambuco were evaluated. S. aureus isolates were identified by standard methods recommended by CLSI and the susceptibility to methicillin and vancomycin was determined by the minimum inhibitory concentration technique (E-test). The prevalence of S aureus observed among HCPs was 25.7%. Among S. aureus strains isolates, the highest percentage of antibiotic resistance was observed in penicillin (91.4%), erythromycin (43.1%) and cefoxitin (17.2%). All of the strains were sensitive to vancomycin. Three S. aureus methicillin-resistant (MRSA) strains were identified, which were isolated from the nursing aides staff. The prevalence of MRSA found in the present study was lower than those reported elsewhere. These findings suggest that a continuous assessment should be performed for better understanding the dynamics of S. aureus colonization/infection in order to reduce the risks of infection by this microorganism.References
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