Staphylococcus aureus infections among U.S. hospital patients have been less resistant to key antibiotics in recent years, a new study finds.

Between 2009 and 2015, researchers tested antibiotic resistance in more than 19,000 S. aureus samples from 42 medical centers nationwide.

“Results showed that S. aureus’ rates of resistance to certain antibiotics decreased over time, which isn’t often seen,” study co-author Dr. Helio Sader said in an American Society for Microbiology news release. Sader is senior director of microbiology and surveillance at JMI Laboratories in North Liberty, Iowa.

Rates of S. aureus resistance to the antibiotic oxacillin (Bactocill) fell from 47.2 percent in 2009 to 43.6 percent in 2015 to 42.2 percent in 2016.

S. aureus resistance to other antibiotics, such as levofloxacin (Levaquin), clindamycin (Cleocin) and erythromycin, also decreased. Resistance to ceftaroline (Teflaro), trimethoprim-sulfanethoxazole (Bactrim), and tetracycline was stable, the researchers said.

The study also found that the antibiotic ceftaroline remained very effective against methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus during the study period.

Also, S. aureus resistance to daptomycin (Cubicin), linezolid (Zyvox), vancomycin (Vancocin) and tigecycline (Tygacil) stayed extremely rare with no sign of increasing, the study found.

The findings were presented recently at the American Society for Microbiology annual meeting, in New Orleans. Research presented at meetings is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on antibiotic resistance.

Source: HealthDay