ENTEROCOCCI AS URINARY-TRACT PATHOGENS - FREQUENCY AND SUSCEPTIBILITYTO ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS

221 clinically significant enterococcal strains (191: E. faecalis, 27. E. faecium, 3 others) were isolated from the urine of patients hospit alised with UTI over an 18-month period (1995-1996). The susceptibilit y of the isolates to 8 antimicrobial agents was determined by agar dil ution method (NCCLS). All enterococci were sensitive to vancomycin and most of them (over 92 %) to penicillin and ampicillin. Only 3.14% of E. faecalis and 3.70% of E. faecium were resistant to ciprofloxacin. A relatively high incidence of resistance of enterococci to aminoglycos ides was observed: 46.07% and 51.85% to streptomycin, 42.41% and 44.44 % to gentamicin, 70.68% and 77.78% to amikacin for E. faecalis and E. faecium, respectively. Among the resistant to penicillin and amino gly cosides enterococci of the two species was found a great percent ''hig h level'' resistance. There were no beta-lactamase producers among our strains. The established multiresistance accompanied by ''high level' ' resistance requires careful consideration of antimicrobial therapy o f enterococcal UTI.