In Vitro Susceptibility of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus to Ceftaroline: A Prospective Observational Study From a Tertiary Care Hospital in North India.

Background Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) continues to pose a major global public health concern due to its resistance to commonly used antibiotics. Ceftaroline has emerged as a promising therapeutic agent against MRSA; however, local susceptibility data remain limited. This study evaluated the in vitro susceptibility of clinical MRSA isolates to ceftaroline using the E-test strip method and described antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and clinical characteristics of affected patients in a tertiary care setting. Methods This prospective, observational, cross-sectional study included non-repetitive MRSA-positive clinical samples obtained from patients aged ≥1 year over a two-year period. Identification and baseline antimicrobial susceptibility testing were performed using the VITEK 2 automated microbiological identification system. Ceftaroline susceptibility was determined using E-test minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) strips. Results Out of 180 patients assessed, 167 MRSA isolates were included in the final analysis. The mean patient age was 34.51 ± 21.35 years, with 103 (61.7%) males. Surgical departments accounted for 99 (59.3%) of isolates, while most patients were admitted to wards (134; 80.2%). Surgical site infections (61; 36.5%) and skin and soft tissue infections (30; 18.0%) were the most frequent diagnoses. Pus samples constituted 90 (53.9%) of the isolates. Ceftaroline demonstrated high in vitro activity against MRSA, with 166 (99.4%) of isolates being susceptible and only one (0.6%) resistant. Most MIC values ranged from 0.1 to 0.4 µg/mL. Tetracycline, vancomycin, linezolid, and daptomycin also demonstrated sensitivity rates above 80%. Conclusions These findings demonstrate excellent in vitro susceptibility of MRSA isolates to ceftaroline and support further multicenter studies incorporating clinical outcome data to evaluate its therapeutic role in tertiary care settings. Its clinical use should, however, be reserved for MRSA infections resistant to other antimicrobials.