To compare the detection of <i>S. aureus</i> carriage in Healthcare Workers of Pediatric Intensive Care Units using Robertson’s Cooked Meat medium with and without 10% NaCl

Background: about 20% of the world’s population has been colonized by Staphilococcus aureus in the long term. Nasal carriage of S. aureus is an important risk factor for sepsis. In most cases, asymptomatic colonized Healthcare Workers (HCWs) can serve as reservoirs of infection for spreading S. aureus strains to susceptible patients. Aims: detecting S. aureus carriage in hospital staff working in Neonatal (NICU) and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) in a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: swabs from the anterior nares and web spaces of both hands of HCWs were processed. Swabs were cultured on Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA) with & without enrichment by RCM with 10% NaCl. After incubating for 48 hours, subculture from RCM was done on MSA. S. aureus was identified using standard microbiological techniques. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out as per Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) 2024 guidelines. Results: S. aureus carriage rate was 18.8%. The carriage was higher in males than in females. It was higher in residents (38.1%) than in nursing staff (5.6%). Higher isolation of S. aureus was observed after enrichment with 10% NaCl. Methicillin resistance was as high as 77.8% in S. aureus isolates from HCW carriers. All isolates were found sensitive to mupirocin. Conclusions: to monitor the carriage of S. aureus in HCWs, RCM with 10% NaCl should always be used along with MSA. Eighteen point eight percent of HCWs in this study were found to be carriers of S. aureus. The study emphasizes the need for regular surveillance of HCWs. Methicillin resistance was very high (77.8%). Healthcare centers are supposed to monitor patients continuously and provide proper treatment.