ABSTRACT
Themajorproblemthreateningthecontinuedsuccessofantimicrobialdrugsisthedevelopmentofresistantorganisms.Thisstudywasdesignedtodeterminetheoccurrenceandprevalenceofcarbapenemresistanceamongenterobacteriaceaeisolatedfromin-patientsattendingUsmanuDanfodiyoUniversityTeachingHospital(UDUTH)Sokoto,andalsotodeterminetheantimicrobialsusceptibilitypatternsoftheorganismsisolated.TheMethodologyinvolvestheuseoftrypticasesoybrothcontaining10μgofcarbapenem(imipenem)forprimaryisolation.ThesecondaryisolationinvolvestheuseofMacConkeyagarandbiochemical(SimmoncitrateAgar)foridentification,andthenantimicrobialsusceptibilitytestingbythediskdiffusionmethod.Atotalof191stoolsamplesfrommaleandfemalein-patientswithintherangeof2-60yearswerescreenedforthe gastrointestinalcolonizationofCarbapenemResistanceEnterobacteriacea(CRE).DatawereanalysedusingStatisticalPackageforSocialSciences(SPSS)windowsversion21.Theoverallprevalencewas15.7%Theprevalenceratewasfoundexclusivelyinmales.Thehighestprevalencewasfoundwithintheagegroupof30-40years.Escherichiacoli,Klebsiellaspecies,Pseudomonasspeciesandsalmonellaspecieswerethebacteriaisolated.ThemostpredominantbacteriaisolatedwereEscherichiacoli,accountingfor85(9.4%)resistantstrains,Klebsiellaspeciesaccountingfor50(8%)resistantstrain,Pseudomonasaeruginosa21%andSalmonellaspeciesaccountingfor42(0%)noresistantstrainisolated.Themisuseofantibioticsisamajorfactorresponsibleforthehighrateofbacterialresistance.Improvementonthemanagementandpersonalhygiene,aswellastheappropriateuseofantibioticswouldreducetheprevalenceofNosocomialCarbapenemResistance(NCR)especiallyamongprolongedhospitalizedpatients