Can amoxicillin clavulanate be used for treating MRSA?

Objective: To determine the frequency of beta lactamase producing Staphlococcus aureus and their sensitivity to Amoxicillin clavulanate in major cities of Pakistan. Setting: Various laboratories of the country with one as the central Laboratory. Materials and Methods: Seven hundred and ninety two consecutive clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus were collected from 8 laboratories all over Pakistan i.e. Karachi, Peshawar, Lahore, Sukkhur, Islamabad, Quetta, and Mirpur, Azad Kashmir. Antibiotic sensitivity was done by Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method and Beta lactamase production was identified by using Nitrocefin test. Results: Forty two percent of the isolates were found to be Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) out of which 87.9% were positive for Beta lactamase production 52.1% of these Beta lactamase producing MRSA were sensitive to amoxicillin-clavulanate and the remaining (47.9%) were resistant. Conclusion: If beta lactamase producing Staphlococcus aureus are tested against beta-lactam antimicrobial agents in combination with clavulanic acid or sulbactam (Beta-lactamase inhibitors), they become susceptible to the Beta-lactam antimicrobial agents. This might have therapeutic and epidemiological implications in near future.