A comparison of antimicrobial resistance rates in Gram-positive pathogens isolated in the UK from October 1996 to January 1997 and October 1997 to January 1998

Rates of resistance for two consecutive years for 28 centres (10 Teaching, nine Associate Teaching and nine District General hospitals) in the UK were compared. Combined rates of resistance for each of the hospital types of S taphylococcus aureus to methicillin revealed an increase in the rate of res istance in Teaching hospitals (12.5% year 1, 23.5% year 2), but, for Associ ate Teaching and District General hospitals rates fell (Associate Teaching 19.1% year 1, 11.9% year 2; District General 16.5% year 1 and 11.3% year 2) . Using conventional methodology to determine MICs, no strain was considere d to have reduced susceptibility to vancomycin. Among coagulase-negative st aphylococci, increased resistance was observed for Staphylococcus epidermid is to rifampicin, for Staphylococcus haemolyticus to clindamycin, for Staph ylococcus saprophyticus to penicillin and for Staphylococcus spp. to clinda mycin, methicillin and rifampicin. For Streptococcus pneumoniae an upward t rend in low-level resistance to penicillin was observed (18 of the 28 centr es), however, for high-level resistance the trend was in the opposite direc tion (only four centres showed an increase). For Enterococcus faecalis ther e was a trend to a fall in levels of resistance, the only exception being a n increase in high-level gentamicin resistance (10.5% year 1, 15.1% year 2, P = 0.0388). For Enterococcus faecium rates of resistance were not signifi cantly different except for increases in resistance to nitrofurantoin and r ifampicin.