Prevalence of Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureusin Diabetic Patients Visiting the 37-MilitaryHospital in the Accra Metropolis

Abstract

AbstractMisuse of antibiotics contributes to the worldwide rise in antibiotic resistance. However, it is equally important to consider inevitable situations that may contribute to a rise in antibiotic resistance and implement best practices to ensure the minimality of their resulting adverse effects. A case in point is the increasing prevalence of methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA), a strain of bacterium that has developed resistance to the antibiotic methicillin and other lactams among long-term diabetic patients as observed in this study. Diabetes is associated with immunosuppression and foot ulcers, which require the constant use of antibiotics as prophylactics, as such, persons with this condition would hold bacterial populations subject to immense selective pressure and are therefore at increased risk for MRSA colonization. Furthermore, these individuals may serve as reservoirs and disseminate these highly drug-resistant strains on return to the general populace. This warranted an investigation into the prevalence of MRSA among diabetic patients at the 37-Military Hospital. A total of 50 samples were taken from the sampled Military Hospital by swabbing the participants’ skin, nose, and wounds aseptically, and 20 samples were acquired from non-diabetics to serve as controls. To culture the samples, blood, and mannitol salt agar were used. Bacteria were isolated and identified using Gram staining and other biochemical testing. The Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method was used with Muller-Hinton agar to test for antimicrobial susceptibility. According to the study’s findings, antibiotic resistance was much higher among diabetic patients than among non-diabetic patients at the 37-Military Hospital in the Accra Metropolis, Ghana.