Antimicrobial susceptibility of common bacterial pathogens isolated from a new regional hospital in southern Taiwan.

BACKGROUND Antimicrobial resistance has become a major health problem in Taiwan. While some trends in antimicrobial resistance are universal, others appear to be unique for specific regions. METHODS To determine the distribution and antimicrobial drug resistance of bacterial pathogens in a new hospital in southern Taiwan, surveillance data on major bacterial pathogens isolated from Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Chia-Yi from January 2002 through December 2002 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS The most common gram-positive isolate was Staphylococcus aureus. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the two most common gram negative isolates. Pseudomonas aeruginosa ranked the first among gram-negative, glucose non-fermenting isolates, followed in the order of frequency by Acinetobacter baumannii. Oxacillin resistance rate of S. aureus was 58%, while vancomycin and teicoplanin remained effective against all of the isolates. The penicillin non-susceptibility rate of Streptococcus pneumoniae was 52%, and it is notable that the rate of resistance to erythromycin was 87%. Resistance to various antimicrobial agents for P. aeruginosa, Aeromonas hydrophila, and gram-negative enteric bacilli was very common in our study. Infections caused by multidrug-resistant A. baumannii was not uncommon in this hospital but fortunately, imipenem resistant A. baumannii was rarely encountered. Antimicrobial resistance was common in nontyphoid Salmonella, S. choleraesuis and serogroup B isolates in particular. CONCLUSION The high rates of antimicrobial resistance among these major bacterial pathogens in this new hospital are impressive and alarming. Judicious use of antimicrobial agents can never be overemphasized. Continued surveillance of the changes of resistance patterns over time is necessary.