title: Resistance to antimicrobial drugs in Ghana.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Antimicrobial drug resistance is a global issue that affects health, economic, and social development. The problem has been attributed to misuse of antimicrobial agents.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify the agents of bacterial infection in Ghana, determine their antibiogram, and the possibility of setting up a surveillance program.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective quantitative study set in various hospitals including two teaching hospitals, seven regional hospitals, and two district hospitals in Ghana. A total of 5099 bacterial isolates from various clinical specimens were collected over a period of 1 year, including data related to the patients. Susceptibility of the isolates was determined by the Kirby-Bauer method. In addition, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of multidrug-resistant isolates of epidemiological significance was also determined using the E-test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A wide range of bacterial isolates were identified in both teaching and regional hospitals. High percentage of resistance was observed for tetracycline (82%), cotrimoxazole (73%), ampicillin (76%), and chloramphenicol (75%). Multidrug resistance was observed to a combination of ampicillin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and cotrimoxazole. On the other hand, a lower percentage of resistance was observed for ceftriaxone (6.3%), ciprofloxacin (11%), and amikacin (9.9%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Generally, the prevalence of multidrug resistance was widespread among the various isolates. Some multidrug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, and non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) had high MIC to cefuroxime (>256), gentamicin (>256), and ciprofloxacin (>32).
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Mercy J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: Enoch
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Frimpong
authors.forename: Eric S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Donkor
authors.forename: Japheth A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Opintan
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Asamoah-Adu