Objectives: To determine the prevalence of infection and describe the antimicrobial resistance patterns of Methicillin-resistant and Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA and MSSA, respectively).
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on clinical specimens collected from patients at Dien Bien provincial General Hospital in 2024.
Results: Among 3041 clinical specimens, S.aureus accounted for 24.3%, of which 78.2% were MRSA. The bacteria were mainly isolated from pus specimens (73.9%) and most isolates were collected from patients in the Intensive Care Unit (67.2%). S.aureus isolates were more frequently identified in male patients than in female patients (54.6% vs. 45.4%), with the highest proportion observed in the 41-65 age group (35.3%). All MSSA and MRSA isolates were resistant to Benzylpenicillin. MRSA isolates exhibited markedly higher levels of antimicrobial resistance than MSSA isolates; however, they remained highly susceptible to Quinupristin/Dalfopristin (98.9%), Linezolid (96.8%), Rifampicin (94.6%), and Vancomycin (91.4%).
Conclusion: S.aureus isolates at Dien Bien provincial General Hospital showed high levels of antibiotic resistance, with a predominance of MRSA. These findings highlight the importance of rational antibiotic use and the need for strengthened infection control measures.