title: Nosocomial Acinetobacter baumannii Infections and Changing Antibiotic Resistance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the intensive care setting, Acinetobacter baumannii causes ventilator-associated pneumonia and other nosocomial infections that are difficult to treat. Objective of this study was to investigate nosocomial A. baumannii infections and its changing antibiotic resistance.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 56 patients diagnosed with A.baumannii infections between January 2009 and December 2011 were included in the study. Diagnosis for nosocomial infections was established according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) criteria. Identification of the agents isolated was carried out using conventional methods and VITEK 2 automated system, while antibiotic sensitivity testing was performed through VITEK 2 AST-N090 automated system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common infection was nosocomial pneumonia by 43%, among which 46% were ventilator-associated pneumonia. Considering all years, the most effective antibiotics on the isolated strains were found as colistin, tigecycline, imipenem and meropenem. However resistance to imipenem and meropenem was observed to increase over years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The issue of increased resistance to antibiotics poses difficulty in treatment of A. baumannii infections which in turn increases the rate of mortality and cost. In order to prevent development of resistance, antibiotics must be used in an appropriate way in accompanied with proper guidance.
authors.affiliation: Ismail Necati Hakyemez, Specialist of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Sevket Yilmaz Training and Research Hospital, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Necati Hakyemez
authors.affiliation: Abdulkadir Kucukbayrak, Assistant Professor of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Abant Izzet Baysal University Medical Faculty, Bolu, Turkey.
authors.forename: Abdulkadir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kucukbayrak
authors.affiliation: Tekin Tas, Assistant Professor of Medical Microbiology, Abant Izzet Baysal University Medical Faculty, Bolu, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tekin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tas
authors.affiliation: Aslihan Burcu Yikilgan, Resident Physician of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Abant Izzet Baysal University Medical Faculty, Bolu, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aslihan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burcu Yikilgan
authors.affiliation: Akcan Akkaya, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Abant Izzet Baysal University Medical Faculty, Bolu, Turkey.
authors.forename: Akcan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akkaya
authors.affiliation: Aliye Yasayacak, Nurse of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Abant Izzet Baysal University Medical Faculty, Bolu, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aliye
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yasayacak
authors.affiliation: Hayrettin Akdeniz, Professor of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Abant Izzet Baysal University Medical Faculty, Bolu, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hayrettin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akdeniz
keywords: Acinetobacter baumannii; Antibiotic resistance; Nosocomial infections