Potential possibilities of using phage typing in elimination of multidrug resistant staphylococci.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) have become the most often isolated bacteria from blood culture, spinal fluid and respiratory tracts of neonates. These nosocomial strains are often resistant to oxacillin and other antibiotics (macrolides, aminoglycosides and fluorochinolones). 50 multidrug resistant CoNS strains isolated from bloodstream neonatal infections were tested for sensitivity to 23 lytic staphylococcus bacteriophages. No lytic patterns for 19 of the phages were observed. Phages P4, A3R and 676/Z were active against 46%, 54% and 56% of the strains, respectively. In general, 60% of CoNS isolates were susceptible to one or more of the staphylococcus bacteriophages.