Caracterización fenotípica y genotípica de la resistencia enzimática a las cefalosporinas de tercera generación en Enterobacter spp. / Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of resistance to third-generation cephalosporins in Enterobacter spp.

Enterobacter spp. es un patógeno intrahospitalario que presenta múltiples mecanismos de resistencia a los antibióticos b-lactámicos. Se caracterizaron fenotípica y genotípicamente las diferentes b-lactamasas presentes en 27 aislamientos consecutivos e ininterrumpidos de Enterobacter spp. (25 Enterobacter cloacae y 2 Enterobacter aerogenes). También se evaluó la habilidad de diferentes métodos fenotípicos para detectar b-lactamasas de espectro extendido (BLEE) en estos microorganismos. En 15/27 aislamientos (63%) se observó resistencia a las cefalosporinas de tercera generación. En 12 de los aislamientos resistentes se detectó un alto nivel de producción de cefalosporinasa cromosómica, siendo 6 de ellos también productores de PER-2. Dicha resistencia en los 3 aislamientos restantes se debió exclusivamente a la presencia de BLEE, PER-2 en 2 de ellos y CTX-M-2 en un caso. Sólo CTX-M-2 se detectó con todas las cefalosporinas probadas en los ensayos de sinergia, utilizando el método de difusión, mientras que cefepima mejoró la detección de PER-2 en 7/8 aislamientos productores de esta BLEE, 4/8 utilizando la prueba de doble disco y 7/8 comparando discos de cefepima con y sin el agregado de ácido clavulánico. El método de dilución empleado solo detectó 1/9 BLEE al comparar las cefalosporinas con y sin el agregado de inhibidor.

Enterobacter spp. are becoming increasingly frequent nosocomial pathogens with multiple resistance mechanism to b-lactam antibiotics. We carried out the phenotypic and genotypic characterization of beta-lactamases in 27 Enterobacter spp. (25 Enterobacter cloacae y 2 Enterobacter aerogenes), as well as the ability of different extended spectrum b-lactamase (ESBL) screening methods. Resistance to third generation cephalosporins was observed in 15/27 (63%) isolates. Twelve resistant isolates produced high level chromosomal encoded AmpC b-lactamase; 6 of them were also producers of PER-2. Resistance to third generation cephalosporins in the remaining 3 isolates was due to the presence of ESBLs, PER-2 in 2 cases, and CTX-M-2 in the other. Only CTX-M-2 production was detected with all tested cephalosporins using difusion synergy tests, while cefepime improved ESBLs detection in 7/8 PER-2 producers, 4/8 in the inhibitor aproximation test and 7/8 with double disk test using cefepime containing disk with and without clavulanic acid. Dilution method, including cephalosporins with and without the inhibitor detected 1/9 ESBLs producers.

Actividad de catorce antimicrobianos sobre Eikenella corrodens / [Activity of 14 antimicrobials against Eikenella corrodens]

Eikenella corrodens is a gram-negative bacillus that colonizes as normal flora of the mouth, the upper respiratory tract and the gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this study was to determine the susceptibility patterns against fourteen antibiotics of 25 E. corrodens strains isolated at our hospital. MICs were determined by the agar dilution technique using M³eller-Hinton agar with sheep blood (5

v/v) to penicillin, ampicillin, ampicillin-sulbactam, cephalotin, cefoxitin, ceftiaxone, colistin, gentamicin, amikacin, erythromycin, rifampin, ciprofloxacin and clindamycin. The most active antibiotics were ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone (MIC90 = 0.008 and 0.125 microgram/ml, respectively), whereas eritromycin, gentamicin and amikacin showed less activity. Only one strain was beta lactamase positive, and it was inhibited by sulbactam. Erithromycin, gentamicin and amikacin had poor activity (MIC90 = 16.8 and 64 micrograms/ml, respectively), whereas all the strains were uniformly resistant to clindamycin (MIC > or = 32 micrograms/ml). We suggest about the need of periodical surveys of E. corrodens susceptibility patterns, since strains have been found with decreased susceptibility against antibiotics which are currently being used for the treatment of infectious diseases.