Antibiotic resistance patterns of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from chronic skin ulcer of patients in Kaduna state, Nigeria

The aim of this study is to investigate the antibiotic resistance patterns of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from out patients with chronic skin ulcer in four different hospitals in Kaduna state. A total number of 292 swab samples were collected from January 2012 to January 2013 and analyzed. MRSA isolates recovered were 14 (78 %) of the total number of Staphylococcus aureus found on the different sites of infection sampled. The highest number of MRSA isolates of 08 (57 %) were recovered from the leg (lower extremity ulcer), while 02 (14 %) isolates each were recovered from hand, abdominal region and mouth (buccal cavity) sites of infection. No MRSA isolates was recovered from the other parts of the skin. From the susceptibility studies of the isolates, it was found that all the MRSA isolates showed 100 % resistance to Amoxacillin + clavulanic acid (Augmentin), and least resistance of 07% to gentamicin. The antibiotic resistance pattern common to all the MRSA isolates is in the order of cefoxitin, amoxicillin + clavulanic acid, Trimethoprim + sulphamethoxazole.