Ventilation tube a fleeting alcove for multi drug resistant non-hemolytic Staphylococcus epidermidis

Abstract

Health care associated infections are escalating globally. Ventilation tube is one of the potential reservoirs for microorganisms. In view of this a prospective study was undertaken to detect the microbial spectrum, haemolytic assay and antibiotic susceptibility of nosocomial bacteria on ventilation tube. Samples were collected by wiping the sterile moist swab over the ventilation tube in intensive care unit (ICU). Collected samples were subjected to standard isolation and characterization procedures. Staphylococcus epidermidis was isolated from the collected samples. For hemolytic assay, loopful of Staphylococcus epidermidis culture was streaked on freshly prepared blood agar and incubated overnight. Hemolytic assay revealed non-hemolytic Staphylococcus epidermidis. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed according to CLSI (2007). Bacterial isolates were subjected to disc diffusion test against gentamicin (120µg), vancomycin (30µg), erythromycin (15µg) tetracycline (30µg), ampicillin (10µg), amoxicillin (10µg) doxycycline (30µg), bacitracin (10µg) and ceftazidime (30µg). Antimicrobial susceptibility test revealed Staphylococcus epidermidis sensitivity to gentamycin and vancomycin but resistant to all antibiotics tested.