This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sewell, C M Articles by Guthrie, R K Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sewell, C M Articles by Guthrie, R K

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Clin Microbiol. 1982 August; 16(2): 236-239

Clinical significance of coagulase-negative staphylococci.

ABSTRACT

Although coagulase-negative staphylococci (C-NS) have been implicated in certain human infections, they are generally regarded as contaminants, and their clinical significance is questioned. To assess their role as pathogens, we studied 205 isolates of C-NS from wounds and body fluids (blood, urine, pleural and peritoneal fluids, etc.). Patient's charts were reviewed, and, by using strict criteria, a determination was made regarding the clinical significance of these isolates. The organisms were then identified to determine whether certain species of C-NS were associated with specific infections. S epidermidis sensu stricto accounted for 81% of the C-NS isolated. The frequencies of other species were: S. haemolyticus (6%), S. hominis (5%), S. capitis (4%), S. warneri (3%), and others (1%). Only two isolates were novobiocin resistant; neither was identified as S. saprophyticus. By using our criteria, 22% of the C-NS were considered to be clinically significant, and the majority of these (93%) was S. epidermidis. The most common source of the clinically relevant C-NS isolates was wounds. These data suggest that identification of C-NS species other than S. epidermidis may be of limited value in predicting clinical significance.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Tan, T. Y., Ng, S. Y., Ng, W. X. (2006). Clinical significance of coagulase-negative staphylococci recovered from nonsterile sites.. J. Clin. Microbiol. 44: 3413-3414 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Skow, A., Mangold, K. A., Tajuddin, M., Huntington, A., Fritz, B., Thomson, R. B. Jr., Kaul, K. L. (2005). Species-Level Identification of Staphylococcal Isolates by Real-Time PCR and Melt Curve Analysis. J. Clin. Microbiol. 43: 2876-2880 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Sakai, H., Procop, G. W., Kobayashi, N., Togawa, D., Wilson, D. A., Borden, L., Krebs, V., Bauer, T. W. (2004). Simultaneous Detection of Staphylococcus aureus and Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci in Positive Blood Cultures by Real-Time PCR with Two Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Probe Sets. J. Clin. Microbiol. 42: 5739-5744 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Edwards, K. J., Kaufmann, M. E., Saunders, N. A. (2001). Rapid and Accurate Identification of Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci by Real-Time PCR. J. Clin. Microbiol. 39: 3047-3051 [Abstract] [Full Text]