title: Multi-resistance to antimicrobial agents for the ten most frequently isolated bacterial pathogens.
abstract: Cross-resistance and multi-resistance to selected antibiotics was determined for Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis. Amikacin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae often showed cross-resistance to ss-lactam antibiotics. Only 1% of the Escherichia coli isolates showed resistance to more than four antibiotics from a set of seven. This rate was higher for other Enterobacteriaceae and there were high levels of cross-resistance for P. aeruginosa. The cross-resistance of oxacillin with other antibiotics is well known in staphylococci. Penicillin-resistant pneumococcal isolates were cross-resistant to macrolides. Cross-resistance was only a minor problem in H. influenzae and M. catarrhalis. Cross- and multi-resistance are important problems for Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria but not for fastidious bacteria with the exception of penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae.
authors.affiliation: Eijkman-Winkler Institute, University Hospital Utrecht, Room G04.614, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands. a.c.fluit@lab.azu.nl
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Fluit
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verhoef
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000187:drug effects; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods; D001936:Moraxella catarrhalis / Q000187:drug effects; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects; D013289:Streptococcaceae / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents