Korean Nationwide Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance of bacteria in 1997.
Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria are known to be prevalent in tertiary-care hospitals in Korea. Twenty hospitals participated to this surveillance to determine the nationwide prevalence of resistance bacteria in 1997. Seven per cent and 26% of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were resistant to 3rd-generation cephalosporin. Increased resistance rates, 19% of Acinetobacter baumannii to ampicillin/sulbactam, and 17% of Pseudomonas aeruginoa to imipenem, were noted. The resistance rate to fluoroquinolone rose to 24% in E. coli, 56% in A. baumannii and 42% in P. aeruginosa. Mean resistance rates were similar in all hospital groups: about 17% of P. aeruginosa to imipenem, 50% of Haemophilus influenzae to ampicillin, 70% of Staphylococcus aureus to methicillin, and 70% of pneumococci to penicillin. In conclusion, nosocomial pathogens and problem resistant organisms are prevalent in smaller hospitals too, indicating nosocomial spread is a significant cause of the increasing prevalence of resistant bacteria in Korea.
Chong
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Y
Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. whonetkor@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr
Lee
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K
Park
Y J
YJ
Jeon
D S
DS
Lee
M H
MH
Kim
M Y
MY
Chang
C H
CH
Kim
E C
EC
Lee
N Y
NY
Kim
H S
HS
Kang
E S
ES
Cho
H C
HC
Paik
I K
IK
Lee
H S
HS
Jang
S J
SJ
Park
A J
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Cha
Y J
YJ
Kang
S H
SH
Lee
M H
MH
Song
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Shin
J H
JH
D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D015995:Prevalence