HOSPITAL ENTEROBACTERIACEAE IN 1995, IN M ARTINIQUE - DISTRIBUTION OFRESISTANCE PHENOTYPES TO BETA-LACTAM AGENTS OF 4,511 URINARY AND NON URINARY STRAINS

We studied the sensitivity of 4,511 Enterobacteriaceae strains to six betalactam agents: amoxicillin, amoxicillin + clavulanate, ticarcillin , cefazolin, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, imipenem. These test strains wer e isolated from urinary and non urinary specimen in patients hospitali zed during the year 1995, in the 3 main hospitals of Martinique. They were then sorted in 3 phenotypic groups: group 1 (sensible phenotype), group 2 (low level penicillinase phenotype), and group 3 (low level c ephalosporinase phenotype). Group 1 Enterobacteriaceae represented 45. 6 % of strains, group 2 Enterobacteriaceae represented 28.4 %, and gro up 3 Enterobacteriaceae represented 26 %. The distribution of resistan ce phenotypes to betalactam agents for group 1 and 2 was not very diff erent from that of continental France. On the other hand, for group 3, the frequency of wild types was more important in Martinique. Moreove r, in group 2 and 3, we noticed that non urinary strains presented a l arger sensitivity to betalactam agents than urinary strains; there was also a more frequent secretion of penicillinase in urinary strains.