T. Leistevuo et al., INCREASE OF ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE OF FECAL AEROBIC GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIA IN A GERIATRIC HOSPITAL, Age and ageing, 25(3), 1996, pp. 197-200
Antimicrobial resistance of faecal aerobic Gram-negative bacteria to e
ight different antimicrobials was determined by a velvet replica-plati
ng method in 1988 and 1993. Faecal samples were taken from 131 geriatr
ic inpatients in the Turku City Hospital with a hospitalization of mor
e than 7 days. From 1987 to 1992 the use of first and second generatio
n cephalosporins and ciprofloxacin increased from 3.32 defined daily d
oses (DDD) per bed to 24.25 DDD/bed and from 0.63 DDD/bed to 28.11 DDD
/bed, respectively. A statistically significant increase was observed
in the frequency of samples resistant (with greater than or equal to 1
% of resistant colonies) to cefuroxime (p = 0.0004) and ceftazidime (p
= 0.037) in patients who received antimicrobial therapy and to ampici
llin (p = 0.046) in patients who had not received antimicrobial therap
y. In addition, despite the decreased use of sulphonamides and trimeth
oprim (from 17.11 DDD/bed to 5.54 DDD/bed) no significant changes in t
he frequency of resistant faecal samples were observed. Use of ciprofl
oxacin has been found to eliminate resistance plasmids from bacteria i
n vitro. However, despite the increased use of ciprofloxacin, no decre
ase in faecal bacteria resistant to any of the other antimicrobials (i
.e. trimethoprim) studied was observed.