Nasal Carriage of Uncommon Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci in Nurses and Physicians of Tehran University Hospitals Pubmed



Salimi E¹ ; Pakbaz Z² ; Pourmand MR^{1, 2} ; Majelan PA² ; Dehbashi S² Show Affiliations
Source: Acta Medica Iranica Published:2016

Abstract

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) have been identified as a major cause of nosocomial infections. Nasal carriage of CoNS in nurses and physicians is known to be an important risk factor for potential hospital infections. This study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of nasal carriage of uncommon coagulase-negative staphylococci among nurse and physician staffs of Tehran University Hospitals. A total of 116 CoNS were isolated from anterior nares of the study participants working in different wards of the hospitals. Thirteen uncommon CoNS were identified using phenotypic and biochemical methods, were subsequently confirmed by API kits. Staphylococcus xylosus, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, and Staphylococcus capitis species accounted for 53.85%, 30.77%, and 15.38% from the isolates, respectively. Six isolates (46.15%) were found to be resistant to methicillin. In conclusion, screening of healthcare workers for uncommon CoNS colonization along with identification and testing for susceptibility of cultured isolates is of paramount importance in strengthening effective nosocomial infection control and prevention measures. © 2016 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.