Identification and characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp. isolated from surfaces near patients in an intensive care unit of a hospital in southeastern Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Fernandes,Luciano Freitas
• Data de Publicação: 2020
• Outros Autores: Souza,Geziella Áurea Aparecida Damasceno, Almeida,Anna Christina de, Cardoso,Léia, Xavier,Mauro Aparecido de Sousa, Pinheiro,Talles Patrick Prates, Cruz,Guilherme Henrique Santos da, Dourado,Hellen Fonseca Silva, Silva,Wender Soares, Xavier,Alessandra Rejane Ericsson de Oliveira
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0037-86822020000100373
• topic: Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus; Equipment contamination; Methicillin resistance

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Contaminated hospital environments contribute to the transmission of microorganisms associated with healthcare. Contaminated surfaces handled by patients or healthcare professionals are a source of microorganism transmission by hand. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus bacteria are among the main agents responsible for increasing healthcare-associated infections in Brazil and worldwide. METHODS: The objective of this study was to screen and characterize methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp. on surfaces near patients in an intensive care unit. Microbiological samples, collected from ten beds in an intensive care unit with five sampling sites, were inoculated into a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus chromogenic medium. MALDI-TOF and PCR analyses were used to identify the bacteria. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using the disk diffusion test. The presence of the mecA gene was investigated using PCR. RESULTS: We observed that 44 out of the 50 sampling sites presented grown isolates in the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus medium. The incidence of isolated microorganisms on the right side rail, left side rail, tables, infusion pump keypad, and cardiac monitor were 18.8 %, 36.7 %, 10.9 %, 2.4 %, and 31 %, respectively. The 42 isolates included in this study were identified as coagulase-negative Staphylococcus. All of these microorganisms were multidrug-resistant and mecA gene-positive. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified the presence of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus on the beds of an intensive care unit, providing evidence for the necessity of assertive actions to decrease the risk of healthcare-associated infections at the site.