Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the level of resistance to the widely used antipseudomonal antibiotics in clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa).


METHODS
The microbiology database of all clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa at the Armed Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from January 1999 to December 1999 was reviewed. The antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined by a standardized method.


RESULTS
Seven hundred and four P. aeruginosa isolates were tested. These strains were commonly isolated from surgical patients followed by intensive care units. Respiratory tract was the most common source of isolation. The antibiotic susceptibility rates were as follows: ciprofloxacin 92.2%, meropenem 91.6%, imipenem 90.2%, amikacin 85.8%, ceftazidime 81.8% piperacillin/tazobactam 81.3% and gentamicin 77.7%. Among 704 strains 6.4% were designated as being multidrug resistant. These were commonly isolated from respiratory tract specimens of patients in intensive care units.


CONCLUSIONS
The clinical significance of these findings is important in the selection of appropriate empiric treatment of serious P. aeruginosa infections. It emphasizes the importance of a conservative approach to antibiotic therapy and continued antimicrobial susceptibility testing surveillance programs to curtail the problem of antibiotic resistance.
Al-Jasser
Asma M
AM
Department of Microbiology, Armed Forces Hospital, PO Box 7897, Riyadh 11159, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. asjass2002@yahoo.com
Elkhizzi
Noura A
NA
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents