title: Antibiotic resistance in nosocomial isolates in Scotland.
abstract: In this first multi-centre study in Scotland, 1028 consecutive Gram-negative and staphylococci strains were obtained from four major teaching hospitals. E. coli was the most common organism among both intensive care units (ICUs) (39%) and non-ICU strains (46.6%). The prevalence of antibiotic resistance among E. coli was always higher in isolates from ICUs than non-ICUs: ceftazidime (14.1%, 7.2%), ceftriaxone (12.7%, 6.1%), cefotaxime (15.5%, 8.7%), cefuroxime (28.8%, 20.8%), amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid (52.2%, 38.8%) and gentamicin (7.0%, 2.8%). The highest incidences of resistance were identified among Enterobacter/Citrobacter spp. from ICUs; 43.8%, 41.7%, 45.8%, 54.2%, 87.5% and 10.4% of these organisms were resistant to ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, cefuroxime, amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid and gentamicin, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Scottish Antibiotic Reference Laboratory, Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Edinburgh Medical School, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Shanahan
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Miles
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Old
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hood
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Gould
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Amyes