Clinical relevance of Proteus mirabilis in hospital patients: a two year survey

A retrospective study was performed on 1072 non-duplicate isolates of Prote us mirabilis, taken in the period April 1996 to March 1998, and on 100 pati ent charts randomly selected during the same period. P. mirabilis isolates accounted for 7.7% of Enterobacteriaceae. The isolates were predominantly f rom urine (70.2%); of the total, 38.0% were penicillinase-producing isolate s, 6.9% were extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing isolates and 3.6% produced inhibitor-resistant beta-lactamase (IRB). ESBL-producing iso lates were observed in long-stay and intensive care and IRE-producing isola tes in paediatric units. Of the 95 patients whose charts were examined, 69 had a confirmed infection, which in 42 cases was nosocomial.