Antibiotic resistance in clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Jamaica Resistencia a antibióticos en cepas clínicas de Pseudomonas aeruginosa en Jamaica

• Main Authors: Paul D. Brown, Anicetus Izundu
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish; Portuguese
• Published: Pan American Health Organization 2004
• Subjects: Antibiotic resistance; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; clinical isolates; Medicine; R; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/1b4c3d4621c54a56b7a8c10f8582eed2

OBJECTIVE: To assess antibiotic resistance in clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Jamaica, and to obtain baseline information on the presence of this important pathogen. METHODS: A total of 51 isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, obtained from 162 clinical specimens from major hospitals and laboratories in seven parishes in Jamaica, were analyzed between May and August 2002. Isolates were tested against 18 different antibiotics by a disk diffusion method. RESULTS: Organisms were cultured from wound swabs (56%), high vaginal swabs (10.5%) and ear swabs (42.5%). Overall, the highest percentage rates of resistance were found for cefaclor (100% of all isolates), nalidixic acid (82.4%), kanamycin (76.5%), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (56.9%). Resistance rates were 25.5% or lower for tobramycin, gentamicin and polymyxin B, cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin, piperacillin, carbapenems and amikacin. Forty-one isolates showed intermediate sensitivity to most of the antipseudomonal antibiotics, and the remaining 10 isolates were resistant to eight or more antibiotics. The multiresistant isolates, most of which were hospital isolates, were all resistant to tetracycline, nalidixic acid and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and highly (80%-90%) resistant to kanamycin, ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that antibiotic resistance in this clinical pathogen is emerging in Jamaica, and suggests that due care must be taken in hospital settings to adequately diagnose pseudomonal infections and prescribe the antibiotic treatment most effective in preventing the increase in multidrug resistant organisms. OBJETIVO: Evaluar la resistencia a antibióticos de cepas clínicas de Pseudomonas aeruginosa en Jamaica y obtener información de base sobre la presencia de este agente patógeno importante. MÉTODOS: Entre mayo y agosto de 2002 se analizó un total de 51 cepas de Pseudomonas aeruginosa que se obtuvieron de 162 especímenes clínicos procedentes de hospitales y laboratorios grandes en siete ...