Aim: This study determined the prevalence of MRSA and assessed the resistance profiles of strains.
Materials and Methods: In-patients and outpatients of all age groups presenting with sepsis as well as skin and soft tissue infections were screened from October 2006 to March 2007. Resistance to methicillin (oxacillin) and other relevant antibiotics were determined by the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MICs) by the E-test (AB, Biodisk, Solna Sweden).
Results: Methicillin resistance was 34.8% (87/250), majority (67/87) of which were hospital acquired MRSA. Resistance was 100% to the β-lactams, 78.2% to cotrimoxazole, 75.8% to tetracycline, 59.8% to gentamicin, 56.3% to flucloxacillin, 34.4% to erythromycin and 32.2% to cefuroxime. MIC ranged from 4-256, 0.125-256, 0.064-32 and 1.5-32 respectively to oxacillin, gentamicin, cotrimoxazole and ceftriaxone.
Conclusion: Prevalence of MRSA is high in Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and routine surveillance should be put in place to monitor the epidemiology of this pathogen.
Key words: MRSA, antibiotic resistance, KATH, Ghana
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