[Antimicrobial resistance of agents causing urinary tract infections in 11 Chilean hospitals. PRONARES project].
BACKGROUND
The computer program WHONET generates a common database to analyze local or general antimicrobial resistance of bacteria. A surveillance of agents causing urinary tract infections in Chile has been performed using this program.


OBJECTIVE
To report the results after 12 months of urinary tract infection agent surveillance.


METHODS
Since November, 1997, a surveillance of in vitro antimicrobial resistance, using agar diffusion techniques, has been performed in 20 to 40 bacterial strains per month, isolated from 11 hospitals in the country. Results have been analyzed using WHONET program.


RESULTS
In first 12 months, 3144 strains, 1625 coming from outpatients, have been studied. Seventy four percent of isolated strains were E coli, 19% were other enterobacteria, 4.1% were non fermenting bacilli and 2.1% were Gram (+) cocci. Sixty five percent of E coli strains were resistant to ampicillin, 11% to cefazolin, 2.5% to cefuroxime, 19% to ceftriaxone, 9% to ceftazidime, 4.2% to gentamicin 1.3% to amikacin, 5.6% to ciprofloxacin, 8.4% to grepafloxacin, 4.3% to nitrofurantoin and 43% to trimeproprim/sulphamethoxazole. Eighty two percent of other enterobacteria strains were resistant to ampicillin, 45.5% to cefazolin, 33.5% to cefuroxime, 26.6% to ceftriaxone, 21.5% to ceftazidime, 30.3% to gentamicin 17.2% to amikacin, 21% to ciprofloxacin, 16.3% to grepafloxacin, 48.2% to nitrofurantoin and 44.6% to trimeproprim/sulphamethoxazole. There were differences in betalactamic resistance among hospitals.


CONCLUSIONS
Noteworthy is the high resistance rates to third generation cephalosporins, evidenced when the new cutoff values for E coli and Klebsiella spp are used. This national surveillance provides updated information on antimicrobial resistance of agents causing urinary tract infections.
Valdivieso
F
F
Unidad de Microbiología-Oriente, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile.
Trucco
O
O
Prado
V
V
Díaz
M C
MC
Ojeda
A
A
D002677:Chile; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011159:Population Surveillance; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology*