[Surveillance of bacterial resistance in China (1998-1999)].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the rates of bacterial resistance of clinical isolates obtained from patients with hospital infections (HI) or community acquired infections (CAI) in the study wards of 13 hospitals located at different areas in China.


METHODS
Susceptibility test was performed on 2 081 strains isolated from 13 hospitals, using standard plate dilution method according to the guidelines of NCCLS (1998). MIC(50) and MIC(90) were used to show the antibacterial activity of antimicrobial agents, and data of R%, I% and S% represent resistant, intermediate and susceptible rates of bacteria to antimicrobial agents tested.


RESULTS
Among total 98 strains of S. aureus, 87 were isolated from patients with CAI and 11 were from HI patients. The incidence of methicillin resistant S.aureus (MRSA) from total infections caused by S. aureus was 27.55%, while the incidence of MRSA from HI patients was 81.82%, which was significantly higher than that (21.84%) from CAI patients. The rate of penicillin resistant S. pneumoniae (PRSP) (R% + I%) was 22.50%; the rate of R (MIC >/= 2 mg/L) was 2.5%, and most of PRSP strains was intermediate, with I% of 20%. No strains of S. aureus, neither strains of E. faecalis, nor of E. faecium were found resistant to vancomycin. The intermediate rate (I%) of E. faecalis and E. faecium to vancomycin was 3.23% and 3.77%, respectively. Cross resistance of E. coli to quinolones was present obviously, and more than 60% of E. coli strains were resistant to fluoroquinolones tested.


CONCLUSIONS
Multi-drug resistance (MDR) of bacteria is a serious problem in China, including MDR of MRSA, PRSP, and enterobacteriaceae; and the resistant rate of enterobacterinceae is the highest up-to-date.
Li
J
J
Department of Antibiotics, Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China.
Weinstein
A J
AJ
Yang
M
M
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D006801:Humans; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011159:Population Surveillance
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents