A five-year systematic review and meta-analysis study on methicillin resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis strains in Iran

Background and Objectives: One of the most prevalent drug-resistant bacteria is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE) causing healthcare infections. Previously, a meta-analysis study on the frequency of MRSE was conducted from Mar 2006 to Jan 2016 in Iran. The present study aimed to evaluate the changes in this prevalence in the last 5 years in different cities in Iran. Materials and Methods: Published articles on the frequency of MRSE were collected from the Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and Iranian databases from the beginning of 2016 to the end of 2020. Of the 503 records identified, 17 studies met the inclusion criteria, and their extracted data were analyzed using comprehensive meta-analysis version 2.0 (Biostat). Results: The analysis showed that the frequency of MRSE has decreased significantly in the last five years and reached 60.8 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 54.2-66.9] among culture-positive cases of S. epidermidis in Iran. Conclusion: The noticeable reduction in the prevalence of MRSE in Iran could be due to the improvement of infection control programs and interruption of the pathogen transmission cycle. Another influential reason is the significant reduction in methicillin prescriptions by physicians for infections caused by staphylococci.