Antimicrobial resistance of Gram-negative isolates from intensive care units in Turkey: Comparison to previous three years

Resistance rates to selected antibiotics of Gram-negative bacteria isolated from intensive care units (ICU) of 16 Turkish hospitals during 1998 were e valuated and compared to data from the previous 3 years. Antibiotic suscept ibilities to imipenem, ceftazidime, ceftazidime-clavulanate, cefoperazone-s ulbactam, ceftriaxone, cefepime, cefodizime, cefuroxime, piperacillin-tazob actam, ticarcillin-clavulanate, gentamicin, amikacin and ciprofloxacin were determined by Etest, A total of 1,404 isolates from 1,060 patients were co llected, mainly from urinary and respiratory tracts. As in the previous 3 y ears, Pseudomonas spp, was the most frequently isolated Gram-negative speci es (29.7%), followed by Escherichia coil, Acinetobacter and Klebsiella spp, Imipenem was the most active in vitro agent (73.4% susceptible), followed by ciprofloxacin (60.6%), cefoperazone-sulbactam (58.7%), cefepime (56.7%), piperacillin-tazobactam (55.0%) and amikacin (54.7%). In 1996, a decline i n susceptibility rates of all antibiotics was evident. With the exception o f imipenem, resistance to which remained stable, rates somewhat increased i n 1997, In 1998, susceptibility to imipenem and cefepime remained stable, a mikacin resistance tended to increase and susceptibility rates to other ant ibacterials showed a favorable increase. These results may in part be due t o the implementation of a surveillance program and increased understanding of the magnitude of the resistance problem.