ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE PROBLEM IN A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

In a study conducted in 1991 in the National University Hospital, Sing apore, the susceptibilities of a total of 2156 recent clinical isolate s were tested against 25 antimicrobial drugs. The organisms were those isolated from routine specimens received in the microbiology laborato ry. About 40% Staphylococcus aureus isolations in the hospital were re sistant to methicillin. A high incidence of the resistance was noted a mong Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase negative staphylococci to ant istaphylococcal drugs. Acinetobacter sp. and Klebsiella sp. are becomi ng major threats with regard to antimicrobial treatment as they are mu lti-drug resistant. Pseudomonas aeruginosa did not show a resistance p roblem except to pefloxacin (74%). Ampicillin resistance of Acinetobac ter sp. (93%) was reduced to 71% by ampicillin/clavulanic acid and to 7% by ampicillin/sulbactam. With regards to the urinary isolates highe r rates of resistance were noticed with Pseudomonas aeruginosa to anti pseudomonas drugs and for co-trimoxazole with other Gram negative orga nisms, compared to non-urinary isolates.