Distribution and changes in the susceptibility of bacteria isolated from clinical samples. III

: This report presents data concerning in vitro activity of antimicrobial agents against Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter spp., Serratia marcescens and Proteus vulgaris isolated from patients with complicated urinary tract infections and against Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from surgical wounds with postoperative infection and exudate from superficial abscesses. There was a marked increase of resistant strains of C. freundii, Enterobacter spp. and S. marcescens to penicillins, CEPs or GM. The isolates of these species obtained in 1983 showed MIC values of 100 micrograms/ml or more for the so-called new CEPs (CTX, CMX, CZX, LMOX and CPZ). The P. vulgaris isolates exhibited an increasing incidence of strains resistant to penicillins, and data on P. vulgaris isolates in 1983 indicated increase of strains resistant to CEPs. GM-resistant organisms were also noted to be increasing among the isolate of this species. The analysis did not reveal any appreciable change with calendar years among P. aeruginosa in respect of frequency of strains resistant to SBPC or CEPs (except CPZ). The data obtained in 1983, however, showed an indication of increasing incidence of organisms resistant to CPZ and GM. The increasing tendency of emergence of organisms resistant to new CEPs designed to expand activity against C. freundii, Enterobacter spp., S. marcescens and P. vulgaris, observed among the isolates of these species is considered probably to be the consequence of bacterial selective acquisition of R plasmid that carry drug resistant genes against CEPs. These are exactly reflected in the present data obtained in studies initiated in 1981 when the new CEPs became commonly prescribed in the daily clinics. It is concluded, accordingly, that organisms of these species resistant to CEPs have been increasing throughout the country.