Value of molecular typing in the assessment of bacterial translocation during coagulase-negative staphylococcal bacteremia in preterm infants

Abstract Background One hundred fifty-seven preterm infants enrolled in the study were hospitalized between 2012-2014 at Amiens-Picardie University Hospital.Only 28 (17.8%) of these children who had experienced at least one episode of secondary Coagulase-negative Staphylococcal bacteremia with concomitant positive stool cultures were included in this study.The purpose of this study was to assess the rate of intestinal bacterial translocation associated with these infections. Methods Blood cultures and stool cultures were performed in the context of this study. All isolates of Staphylococcus spp were examined by MALDI-TOF MS. Antibiotic susceptibility and genotyping were also performed. Results Sixteen resistance patterns were identified from blood and stool based on antibiotic susceptibility testing. Ten of the Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus strains isolated from blood samples exhibited R pattern e (35.7%) and eleven of the Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus strains isolated from stool samples exhibited R pattern e (39.2%). Blood culture results were concordant with stool culture results in 53.5% of cases and discordant in 46.5% of cases.Fifteen isolates exhibited three ERIC-2 (A, B, C) and three RAPD-PCR (D, E, F) patterns. ERIC-2 patterns comprised A ( S. epidermidis isolates); B ( S. haemolyticus isolates) and C ( unidentified Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus isolates). RAPD patterns consisted of D ( unidentified Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus isolates), E ( S. haemolyticus isolates), and F ( S. epidermidis isolates). Conclusion Bacterial translocation from the intestinal tract was likely source of Coagulase-negative Staphylococcal bacteremia in hospitalized preterm infants.