Prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus carriage in patients on hemodialysis and the pattern of antibacterial resistance

Staphylococcus aureus is a virulent pathogen that is currently the most common cause of infection in hospitalized patients. These days, increment in antimicrobial resistance coupled with increasing prevalence of the agent as a nosocomial infection makes the situation even more complex. Patients on hemodialysis are at increased risk due to their immunocompromised state. The present study was designed to determine the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage in a group of Iranian patients on hemodialysis. For this descriptive study, sterile-cotton-tripped swabs were rotated into anterior nares of 96 patients on hemodialysis, and then cultured on blood-agar medium. Having grown the colony, gram stain, catalase, manitol, DNAase and coagulase tests were all performed and the pattern of antibacterial sensitivity was determined. Of 96 patients on hemodialysis, 44 (45.8%) were nasal carrier of S. aureus. All isolated S. aureus were resistant to methicillin (MRSA), while 95% were resistant to cloxacillin, 6.81% to clindamycin, 6.81% to ciprofloxacin and 4.5% to rifampin; however, all microorganisms were sensitive to vancomycin. Patients on hemodialysis are at increased risk of S. aureus contamination, thus, screening these susceptible patients should be served as a health priority. Meanwhile, antibiogram should be ordered for all cases to optimize treatment options.