MRSA--too many hurdles to overcome: a study from Central India.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are commonly associated with nosocomial infections and are usually resistant to many antibiotics. This study describes the prevalence of MRSA strains and their antibiogram in a tertiary care hospital in Central India. The detection of MRSA was done by a cefoxitin (30 microg) disc diffusion test. Antibiotic sensitivity tests were done as per the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines 2006. Of the 280 S. aureus strains studied: 145 (51.8%) strains were MRSA; 51 (35.2%) MRSA strains were inducible clindamycin resistant; and all (100%) MRSA strains were resistant to penicillin and sensitive to vancomycin and linezolid. In order to detect the MRSA strains, cefoxitin disc diffusion tests should be used routinely in any microbiology laboratory to enable prompt treatment for the patient.