Klebsiella pneumoniae: epidemiology and analysis of risk factors for infections caused by resistant strains.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the epidemiology of hospital and community-acquired infections caused by  Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) and risk factors for infections caused by resistant strains.


METHODS
A retrospective observational study was performed to analyze the relationship between antimicrobial use and bacterial resistance.


RESULTS
A K. pneumoniae infection was diagnosed in 0.47% of patients (169 of 36 179) admitted to the hospital between 1 March 1999 and 31 August 2000. Of the 169 isolates, 166 (98.2%) were resistant to at least one antimicrobial and 91.1% (154/169) to two or more antibiotics. 98% were resistant to ampicillin, 77% to piperacillin, 64% to cephalothin, 60% to ampicillin/sulbactam, 59% to cefoperazone, 57% to cefazolin, 55% to cefuroxime, 51% to TMP-SMZ, 51% to tobramycin, 50% to gentamicin, 49% to aztreonam, cefetaxime and ceftriaxone respectively, 47% to ceftazidime, 47% to cefepime, 46% to ciprofloxacin, 46% to ticarcillin/clavulanate, 44% to amikacin, 38% to cefoxitin, 22% to piperacillin/tazobactam, while all strains were tested susceptible to imipenem.


CONCLUSIONS
Prior receipt of amtimicrobial therapy was significantly associated with infection caused by a resistant organism and most strains were resistant to multiple antibiotics.
Li
Jiabin
J
Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medical Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China. lijiabin948@sohu.com
Ma
Yilin
Y
Wang
Zhongxin
Z
Yu
Xinzhi
X
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007710:Klebsiella Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors