[Antimicrobial susceptibility of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains from outpatient individuals].

BACKGROUND: Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) has emerged worldwide as a cause of infections among patients without risk factors. This CA-MRSA is different from nosocomial strains in terms of epidemiology, microbiology and clinical manifestations. We report the epidemiologic characteristics and resistance to antimicrobial agents of CA-MRSA strains isolated in the last three years in the Microbiology Lab of Hospital General La Mancha-Centro (Alcázar de San Juan, Ciudad Real).

METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of microbiological cultures in patients with S. aureus diagnosed from 2007 to 2009 in La Mancha-Centro Health-Care Area, within Castilla-La Mancha Community.

RESULTS: The distribution of CA-MRSA in the studied period was 26 out of a total of 97 S. aureus isolates in 2007 (26.8%), 40/113 in 2008 (35.4%) and 57/157 in 2009 (36.3%). The percentage from purulent skin and soft tissue infections was 63.4%. All strains were susceptible to linezolid, quinupristin/dalfopristin, and glycopeptides. The resistance was high to fluoroquinolones (94.3%), erythromycin (87.0%), tobramycin (82.9%), and clindamycin (65.3%).

CONCLUSIONS: CA-MRSA isolates percentage increased along the period of the study. The majority were obtained from skin and soft tissue specimens. The most commonly associated antimicrobial resistance was to fluoroquinolones, erythromycin, tobramycin and clindamycin. An understanding of the CAMRSA epidemiology is important to prevent these organisms from becoming endemic in the world.