Distribution of Acinetobacter baumannii in a neurointensive care unit

In a 1-month prospective case-matched study we found Acinetobacter baumanni i was a prevailing microbe simultaneously colonizing respiratory tract and skin of neurointensive care unit patients who stayed in our neurointensive care unit for more than 3 d. A. baumannii was not isolated from healthy cas e-matched controls. Based on their phenotypic properties and the results of amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis the 12 strains of Acinetobact er spp. isolated were identified as belonging to DNA group 2 (A. baumannii) . For epidemiological typing, Biolog system results of 95-carbon source oxi dation, antibiograms and restriction endonuclease analysis were used. One p redominant A. baumannii strain was found in all colonized patients, skin an d respiratory tract mere found mainly to be colonized with the same strain. The starting point of A. baumannii colonization seemed to vary with the in dividual patient. Environmental strains were different from patients' strai ns: they were metabolically more active, more resistant and had a different restriction endonuclease analysis profile.