Bacterium
Staphylococcus epidermidis
Coagulase-negative skin flora clue
STAFF-ih-lo-KOK-us EP-ih-der-MID-is
High-yield clue
Clusters + catalase positive + coagulase negative points away from S. aureus.
Overview
A coagulase-negative staphylococcus frequently used in study questions about normal skin flora and device-associated biofilm concepts.
Classification
- Gram-positive
- Cocci
- Clusters
- Coagulase-negative staphylococcus
Lab & identification clues
- Catalase positive
- Coagulase negative
- Novobiocin-sensitive distinction is commonly taught
Associations
- Skin flora
- Biofilm vocabulary
- Device-associated infection concepts in educational cases
Commonly confused with
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Staphylococcus saprophyticus
Your notes
Original student-study summary. Sources checked: OpenStax Microbiology 2e, NCBI Bookshelf Medical Microbiology, and CDC topic pages where applicable; reviewed 2026-06. Educational only; no diagnosis, treatment, dosing, or specimen-handling guidance.