Staphylococcus saprophyticus !
- Bacterium
- Gram-positive
- Exam priority: medium
A bacterium that causes urinary infection in young sexually active women; it is their second most common cause of community cystitis.
Updated 2026-11-01
Also called: coagulase-negative staphylococcus
At a glance
- Gram
- Gram-positive
- Shape
- Cocci in clusters
- Oxygen
- Facultative anaerobe
- Family
- Staphylococcaceae
- Stain
- Gram positive; catalase positive, coagulase negative
Morphology
- Gram-positive cocci in clusters
- Novobiocin resistant
- Urease positive
Transmission
- Ascent from the urethra into the bladder
- Linked to sexual activity
Isolation precautions
What the care team adds to standard precautions.
- Standard
Virulence factors
- Adhesins that bind urinary epithelium
- Urease
Diseases it causes
- Cystitis and lower urinary tract infection in young women Urinary tract infection (acute cystitis) →
Clinical picture
- Dysuria, frequency and urgency
- Can ascend and cause pyelonephritis
Diagnosis
- Urine culture
- Coagulase negative, novobiocin resistant
Treatment
It responds to the usual cystitis agents (for example nitrofurantoin or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, depending on local susceptibility).
Drug class only; doses and regimens are set by the clinician from the current guideline.
In Pharmacology:
Prevention
- Hydration and voiding after intercourse (general urinary prevention measures)
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Who is the typical patient with S. saprophyticus cystitis?
A young sexually active woman.
Which test separates S. saprophyticus from S. epidermidis?
Novobiocin: S. saprophyticus is resistant.
Which organism causes more cystitis in young women than S. saprophyticus?
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli.
Related
Related conditions
← Back to the group: Staphylococci
Educational content on microorganisms; not a treatment guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given.
Sources: Staphylococcal Infections (MedlinePlus (NLM), 2025); Urinary tract infection - adults (MedlinePlus (NLM), 2024).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.