[Relationship between the level of minimal inhibitory concentrations of five antiseptics and the presence of qacA gene in Staphylococcus aureus].

The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was used to detect the qacA gene which encodes antiseptic resistance in 186 clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus. The results were compared with those obtained by MIC determination of 4 antiseptics (benzalkonium chloride, hexamidine, chlorhexidine, acriflavine) and for ethidium bromide. The qacA gene was not detected among the 32 susceptible S. aureus strains, but was found in the 70 (85%) of the 82 S. aureus strains resistant to all 5 antiseptics. The gene was also detected in 70 (45%) of the 154 remaining strains that were resistant to at least one antiseptic.