| Description |
Staphylococci are significant contributors to disease in humans. Staphylococcus
been applied. The coagulase negative staphylococci are important emerging
pathogens in that they contribute to many infections acquired while in a
healthcare facility. As a general rule, the coagulase negative staphylococci
have lesser virulence than Staphylococcus aureus, but they can still cause
serious, life-threatening disease in certain settings. As with other organisms,
antibiotic resistance is occuring among the coagulase negative staphylococci.
There is concern in particular for resistance to vancomycin among this group
of organisms, as it is currently the only antibiotic that has consistently
shown activity against infections caused by this group of organisms; however,
decreased susceptibility and even resistance to vancomycin has been identified
aureus is the most virulent of the staphylococci, but the non-aureus
in rare cases.
The purpose of this EPI pathogen entry is to capture all isolates from all
specimens that contain a coagulase negative staphylococcus that is not
Susceptible to vancomycin (whether your facility calls it coagulase negative
staphylococcus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus saprophyticus or
the myriad of other staphylococcal species that comprise this group).
staphylococci can also cause disease. As a general group, these non-aureus
staphylococci are referred to as coagulase negative staphylococci; some refer
to this group of organisms as Staphylococcus epidermidis because the
staphylococcal species S. epidermidis is one of the more common members of this
group to cause disease. However, to be accurate, the group of organisms
called coagulase negative staphylococci includes many different species, even if
the generic terminology of Staphylococcus epidermidis (a.k.a. Staph epi) has
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