title: Antimicrobial susceptibility of bacteria causing urinary tract infections in Latin American hospitals: results from the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program (1997).
abstract: OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns among 469 pathogens isolated as a significant cause of urinary tract infections in 10 Latin American medical centers. METHODS: Consecutively collected isolates were susceptibility tested by broth microdilution methods, and selected isolates were characterized by molecular typing methods. RESULTS: Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. isolates revealed high rates of resistance to broad-spectrum penicillins and to fluoroquinolones. Ceftazidime MICs of >/=2 mg/L, suggesting the production of extended-spectrum b-lactamases (ESBLs), were observed in 37.7% of K. pneumoniae and 8.3% of Escherichia coli isolates. Enterobacter spp. isolates were characterized by high resistance rates to ciprofloxacin (35%) and to ceftazidime (45%), but they generally remained susceptible to cefepime (95% susceptible). Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp. were highly resistant to ciprofloxacin and ceftazidime. Imipenem was active against 80% of P. aeruginosa and 93% of Acinetobacter spp. isolates. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate a high level of resistance to various classes of antimicrobial agents among isolates causing nosocomial urinary tract infections in Latin American hospitals. Clonal dissemination of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae strains was infrequent.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Helio S.
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Sader
authors.forename: Ronald N.
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Patricia L.
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Winokur
authors.forename: Michael A.
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pfaller
authors.forename: Gary V.
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Doern
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barrett