title: Antibiotic resistance as an indicator of bacterial chlorhexidine susceptibility.
abstract: The antibiotic and chlorhexidine (CHX) susceptibility of 70 distinct clinical isolates: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus aureus (not MRSA), Streptococcus pyogenes and Enterococcus faecalis (10 of each) were tested using minimal bactericidal (MBC) and/or minimal inhibitory (MIC) concentrations. Non-fermentative bacteria tolerated CHX at high concentrations; Gram-positive cocci, especially S. pyogenes, were the most susceptible. We found a good correlation between CHX and antibiotic susceptibility in both MIC and MBC among Gram-negative bacteria, and mainly in MBC among Gram-positive bacteria. Resistance to ciprofloxacin, imipenem, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, gentamicin and aztreonam appeared to indicate increased CHX resistance among Gram-negative bacteria. This finding gives clinicians the ability to predict CHX susceptibility according to routine antibiotic resistance testing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Tartu, Estonia. siiri.koljalg@kliinikum.ee
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kõljalg
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Naaber
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mikelsaar
mesh_terms: D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants; D002710:Chlorhexidine