title: A survey of metronidazole and vancomycin resistance in strains of Clostridium difficile isolated in Warsaw, Poland.
abstract: The drug of choice used to treat Clostridium difficile-associated diarroea (CDAD) are metronidazole and vancomycin. Information about emergence of antimicrobial resistance among C. difficile strains to metronidazole and intermediate resistance to vancomycin in some countries are alarming. This study was performed to determine the susceptibility to metronidazole and vancomycin of 193 C. difficile strains isolated in our diagnostic laboratory between year 1998 and 2003 from patients adults and children suffering from CDAD. Among these strains, 142 produced toxin A and B (TcdA(+)TcdB(+)), 43 only B (TcdA(-)TcdB(+)) and 8 were nontoxigenic. We have not observed any differences in susceptibility to metronidazole and vancomycin between all C. difficile strains under investigation (toxinogenic and non-toxinogenic). Resistance to metronidazole and vancomycin was not observed.
authors.affiliation: The Medical University of Warsaw, Chair and Department of Medical Microbiology, 5 Chalubinski str., 02-004 Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pituch
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Obuch-Woszczatyński
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wultańska
authors.forename: Felicja
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meisel-Mikołajczyk
authors.forename: Mirosław
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Łuczak