Coryneforms causing surgical site infections- characterization and antimicrobial sensitivity pattern

Coryneforms have been recognized as pathogenic organism with increasing frequency in recent years and can no longer be discarded as laboratory contaminants. Emerging antimicrobial resistance in various species has created an additional need for their identification at the species level and continuous surveillance of their antimicrobial resistance pattern. This study was conducted to identify the role and resistance pattern of coryneforms in the surgical site infections. C. jeikeium was found to be the commonest species among the 54 isolates of coryneforms. Furthermore alarming resistance profile was observed among all the species. One of the important highlight of the study was the unexpected synergism noted between erythromycin & vancomycin and pristinomycin & vancomycin. On the basis of our results we would like to conclude that the role of coryneforms in surgical site infections really needs to be looked into and the synergistic activity among the erythromycin/ pristinomycin and vancomycin will prove to be helpful in delaying the development of resistance against vancomycin which is the need of time.