Nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus amongst healthcare workers of intensive care unit of a tertiary care centre in South India: An observational cross-sectional study

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the dangerous pathogens causing infections in both community level and hospital setting. This study aims to find the carrier rate of S. aureus and a resistant strain of the bacterium–methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Sterile cotton swabs (saline moistened) were used to collect the nasal samples from the healthcare workers (HCWs) of different intensive care units. The isolation S. aureus was done by standard bacteriological procedures. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of all isolates was performed by modified Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method. Methicillin resistance of S. aureus was identified using cefoxitin disc diffusion test. One hundred and forty-one nasal swabs were processed (104 nurses, 27 doctors and 10 non-medical staff). Amongst the 141 nasal swabs processed, 18.4% of HCWs were carriers of S. aureus, out of which 9.9% tested positive for MRSA. To prevent the colonisation of HCWs by S. aureus and avoid cross infection amongst patients, proper hand hygiene practices are vital. Creating an awareness and periodic screening is yet another task needed to tackle this crisis.