ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANCE IN PSEUDOMONAS-AERUGINOSA - AN ITALIAN SURVEY

In order to assess the current level of resistance to widely used anti pseudomonal antibiotics in clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa , a national survey was undertaken. Fifteen hospitals throughout Italy participated in the study. The University of Catania tested the antib iotic susceptibility of 1005 consecutive clinically significant P. aer uginosa collected from March to June 1995. Lack of susceptibility, acc ording to NCCLS breakpoints, was at the I following rates: meropenem, 9.1%; imipenem, 19.3%; ceftazidime, 13.4%; carbenicillin, 27.3%; piper acillin, 12%; ticarcillin/clavulanic acid, 22.8%; amikacin, 10.6%; and ciprofloxacin, 31.9%. About half of the isolates (44.4%) were not sus ceptible to at least one of the antibiotics tested.