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November 18, 2004

Antibiotic resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii isolates: data from Ibni Sina Hospital for the year 2002

Topics: Clinical Pharmacology

Time for a little science perspective on the rare blood infection experienced by U.S. Troops returning from the battlefront.

Article Review - Mikrobiyol Bul. 2003 Oct;37(4):241-6 (Turkish). 

Antibiotic resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii isolates: data from Ibni Sina Hospital for the year 2002, Ankara Universitesi Tip Fakultesi, Ibni Sina Hastanesi Merkez Laboratuvari, Ankara.

Acinetobacter spp. have a special role in nosocomial infections. They usually colonize intensive care units and cause infections. Multiple antibiotic resistance is observed to be an important problem in Acinetobacter isolates in recent years. The aim of this study was to evaluate the susceptibilities of 277 Acinetobacter baumannii strains (99 blood, 71 abscess, 26 urine, 81 lower respiratory tract isolates) isolated from adult patients hospitalized in Ankara University Ibni Sina Hospital during one year period in 2002. The resistance rates of the strains against studied antibiotics were found as follows; 31.2% for netilmicin, 44.6% for sulbactam-cefoperazone, 53.6% for imipenem, 59.8% for amikacin, 59.9% for tobramycin, 74% for ciprofloxacin, 78% for gentamicin, 78.3% for ticarcillinclavulanate. 79.5% sulbactam-ampicillin, 82.3% for cotrimoxazole, 84.8% for ticarcillin, 87.3% for piperacillin-tazobactam, 88.1% for ceftazidime and 92.1% for piperacillin. When the isolates obtained from the reanimation unit were compared with the isolates obtained from the other hospital units, a significantly high level of resistance was found from the isolates obtained from the reanimation unit except netilmicin and sulbactam/cefoperazone. The high rate of in-vitro antibiotic resistance of the A. baumannii strains indicated the importance of controlled antibiotic usage and appliance of hospital infection control measures.

Question - Are the high rate of infections in troops returning from the Middle East battlefront nosocomial infections? In other words, did they already have it or did they get it during/in care?

Additional Reference: Am J Epidemiol. 1990 Oct;132(4):723-33.
Epidemic bacteremia due to Acinetobacter baumannii in five intensive care units

Posted by Hyscience at November 18, 2004 8:29 PM

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