Epidemiological impact of the antimicrobial therapy on Acinetobacter spp. isolated from ITU patients

Background

Acinetobacter spp. are Gram-negative bacteria which may be isolated as comensals from human skin, throat and intestine, but are also responsible for hospital infection. Today Acinetobacter is considered to be a significant nosocomial pathogen in outbreaks of nosocomial infections predominantly in intensive therapy units (ITU).

Purpose

To analyse epidemiology and factors influencing Acinetobacter spp. outbreaks.

Setting

A six-bedded surgical ITU in a 700-bed teaching hospital. The research was conducted from January 1995 till June 1996.

Methods

Relationships between amount of isolated Acinetobacter spp. strains (in total 190) and antibiotics consumption, expressed in defined daily dose (DDD), were analysed using linear correlation. To find out whether there is any relation between Acinetobacter out-breaks and overpopulation on ITU, all data were categorised for the frequency table. Paerson Chi-square test was used to identify relationship between the crosstabulated variables.

Results

Strong correlation between resistant Acinetobacter isolates and amikacin, aminoglycosides and cefotaxim consumption is shown in table. Crosstabulated variables analyses proved influence of overpopulation on ITU on the Acinetobacter outbreak's (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

This study illustrates the influence of antimicrobial therapy on outbreaks of resistant Acinetobacter strains.

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