[Ampicillin resistant enterococci at Landspítalinn University Hospital and antimicrobial susceptibilities of enterococci in Iceland.].
Hospital acquired infections caused by enterococci are an increasing problem, due to an increased number of infections and increasing bacterial resistance to antibiotics. During 1994 ampicillin resistant enterococci were discovered in specimens from three patients in one ward over a short time period. The patients were isolated and stool cultures were taken from everyone in the ward for selective culture for enterococci and subsequent antimicrobial susceptibility tests. Additional screening cultures were taken from patients in the intensive care unit, the oncology ward, one surgical and one paediatric ward. Cultures were also taken from the hospital sewage system. Antibiotic susceptibility of enterococci isolated from urine samples submitted to the Microbiology Department, Landspitalinn, during 1994 and 1995 were reviewed. In the index ward, specimens were obtained from 30 individuals for culture. One additional patient and one staff member were found to be colonised with ampicillin resistant enterococci. In the other wards a total of 23 samples were taken from selected patients for culture, but none of these cultures yielded ampicillin resistant enterococci. No ampicillin resistant enterococci were found in the sewage system of the hospital. Of a total of 41,181 urine specimens cultured at the Microbiology Department, 1,513 contained enterococci of which five were resistant to ampicillin (0.3%, all from 1994). We conclude that ampicillin resistant enterococci have not become established at Landspitalinn. It may be difficult to maintain a susceptible enterococcal population, however isolation of carriers and sensible use of broad spectrum antibiotics are likely to delay the establishment of multiresistant enterococci in Iceland.
Gudlaugsson
O
O
Kristinsson
K G
KG