Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Clinical Samples in University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Kwara State

Staphylococcus aureus remains one of the most clinically significant pathogens globally, and its increasing resistance to commonly prescribed antibiotics poses serious therapeutic challenges. This study investigated the antibiotic susceptibility profiles of S. aureus isolates obtained from wound swabs, blood cultures, and nasal swabs collected at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Kwara State, North Central Nigeria. A total of 80 clinical isolates were recovered and confirmed using standard cultural and biochemical tests. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method following Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Antibiotics tested included oxacillin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, vancomycin, and clindamycin. The prevalence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) among isolates was determined using the cefoxitin disk surrogate test. Results showed an MRSA prevalence of 38.75 percent among all isolates. High resistance rates were recorded for ampicillin (82%), erythromycin (67%), and ciprofloxacin (54%). All isolates remained susceptible to vancomycin. These findings highlight the growing antimicrobial resistance burden in North Central Nigeria's tertiary healthcare facilities and call for the adoption of evidence-based antibiotic stewardship programs. Regular surveillance of resistance patterns and strict hospital infection control measures are recommended to preserve the therapeutic utility of available antibiotics. Keywords: Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, antibiotic resistance, UITH, antimicrobial stewardship.