Aims: This study aimed to investigate recent national surveillance trends in Staphylococcus epidermidis antibiotic resistance in Scotland and to draw conclusions on the potential clinical and public health impact of multidrug-resistant isolates. Results: Resistance in S. epidermidis isolates to individual agents was broadly stable over the past 5 years. Isolates from sterile sites, and therefore those most likely to be associated with clinical infection, were found to be more resistant to the majority of reported agents, than isolates from nonsterile sites. Increased resistance to a number of important antibiotics was observed in rifampicin-, vancomycin-, and daptomycin-resistant isolates, suggesting limited treatment options for infections caused by these isolates. Conclusions: Although S. epidermidis resistance to individual agents has been broadly stable over the past 5 years nationally, of particular concern is the association of multidrug resistance in rifampicin-resistant isolates, which has been reported elsewhere. This has the potential to result in treatment failures in significant device-related infections.
Keywords: Staphylococcus epidermidis; antimicrobial resistance; multidrug resistance.