title: Antibiotic sensitivity and plasmid profiles of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to commonly used antibiotics and to study the relationship between antibiotic resistance and the plasmid profiles of the organism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional study
  
  
  METHODS
  Samples of burns, wound pus, urine, blood, sputum, stool and aspirates were obtained from Harare Hospital (n = 120) and Parirenyatwa Hospital(n = 80).
  
  
  METHODS
  Male and female patients either admitted or attending clinics.
  
  
  METHODS
  P. aeruginosa isolates obtained were resistant to commonly used antibiotics in this environment. The resistance may be plasmid-dependent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  P. aeruginosa is prevalent in burns (76.7%) and wounds (67.5%) and in their respective hospital wards. The isolates of P. aeruginosa were resistant to gentamicin (65.5%); carbenicillin (61.9); polymyxinb (53.0%); ciprofloxacin (61.1%) and ceftriazone (70.8%); but showed high sensitivity to tazocin (89.4%) and nalidixic acid (59.3%) and cotrimoxazole (54.9%). All the isolates resistant to the antibiotics tested possessed plasmid DNA. Strains with four plasmids of molecular weight of approximately, 1.5 x 10(6), 1.8 x 10(6), 2.9 x 10(6) and 7.4 x 10(6) Da showed multiple resistance to the drugs that were tested.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study reveals an emergence of multiple antibiotic-resistant strains of P. aeruginosa. The traditional drugs gentamicin, carbenicillin, ciproflaxacin, and polymyxin-b used for treatment of P. aeruginosa infections may no longer be reliable. Therefore, a newer drug such as tazocin and other rarely used drugs such as nalidixic acid should be considered for P. aeruginosa antibiotic therapy.
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Igumbor
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Gwanzura
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Chirara
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Obi
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Muza
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Chihara
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology; D002056:Burns / Q000382:microbiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010957:Plasmids; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D013542:Sweat / Q000382:microbiology; D014556:Urine / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents