Prevalence of Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS) and their antimicrobial resistant pattern obtained from a referral hospital in Accra, Ghana

Background Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) have emerged as significant opportunistic pathogens, particularly in healthcare facilities. This study investigated the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance patterns of CoNS at the 37 Military Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using laboratory data from January 2021 to December 2024. CoNS isolates from various clinical specimens were identified using the BD Phoenix™ M50 (Becton Dickinson, USA) automated System, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed according to CLSI guidelines. Results A total of 295 CoNS isolates were obtained from clinical specimens processed at a laboratory that handles approximately 3,000 specimens annually. Staphylococcus haemolyticus was the most prevalent species (95 isolates, 32.2%), followed by S. epidermidis (58 isolates, 19.7%) and S. hominis (15 isolates, 5.1%). Urine samples yielded the highest number of isolates (102 isolates, 34.6%), followed by blood cultures (79 isolates, 26.8%). Among the 295 isolates tested, high resistance rates were observed for oxacillin (236 isolates, 80%), penicillin G (229 isolates, 77.6%), and tetracycline (202 isolates, 68.5%). S. haemolyticus showed the highest resistance rates, with 87 isolates (92.0%) resistant to oxacillin and 86 isolates (90.8%) resistant to tetracycline. Conclusion The high prevalence of multi-drug resistant CoNS, especially methicillin-resistant strains, presents significant clinical challenges. Enhanced surveillance, improved infection control, and judicious antibiotic use are recommended to mitigate the spread of resistant strains in this healthcare setting.