CHARACTERIZATION OF Staphylococcus aureus IN DEVICES USED BY HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN PEDIATRIC AND NEONATAL UNITS OF A HOSPITAL IN THE WEST PAULISTA

• Grant number: 23/09077-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2023
• End date: September 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Biology and Physiology of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Valéria Cataneli Pereira
• Grantee: Danilo Silva Martins Santos
• Host Institution: Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação. Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE). Presidente Prudente , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium of great global relevance due to its high capacity to cause health complications, ranging from skin infections (boils, abscesses, infections in scars) to pneumonia, sepsis, bacteremia, endocarditis, osteomyelitis, and toxic shock syndrome, potentially fatal complications that generate high costs for governments. Within the hospital and general context, children and the elderly are the most susceptible individuals to antibiotic-resistant infections. Considering the risks that contamination with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can cause, this study proposes the evaluation of MRSA presence on these devices in a hospital in the western region of São Paulo state, in the pediatric emergency department, combined accommodation, neonatal and pediatric intensive care units. A total of 120 bacterial samples will be collected from pediatric units (pediatric emergency room clinics, combined accommodation, and neonatal and pediatric intensive care units) of a hospital in the western region of São Paulo state. The samples will be collected from medical equipment used in patient care, including stethoscopes (bell and diaphragm areas), pulse oximeters (areas in contact with the patient's skin), and sphygmomanometers (parts in contact with the patient). The samples will be obtained using the "Stuart" collection medium by swabbing the areas of contact between the devices and the patients. After collection, the obtained samples will be sent to the Microbiology Laboratory at Unoeste, located on Campus I, where they will be cultured on Baird Parker agar for growth and selection of Staphylococcus spp. DNA extraction and PCR technique will be performed to identify S. aureus, and in the confirmed species, the mecA and PVL genes will be investigated by PCR, as well as SCCmec characterization by multiplex PCR. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests will be carried out using disk diffusion and biofilm production on polystyrene plates. The chi-square test will be applied for result analysis, with a 95% confidence interval, and p-values <0.05 will be considered statistically significant.