RESUMEN
Enterococci which are part of the normal intestinal flora are opportunistic human pathogens. The two most important species, E.faecalis and E.faecium are among the leading causes of nosocomial infections that may cause severe infections including endocarditis, urinary tract infection, septicemia and wound infections which are often difficult to treat. The aim of the present study was Isolation and characterization of enterococci from patients with nosocomial infections were performed to determine the most common species responsible for nosocomial infections and to study the patterns of resistance of the isolated strains
Methods: This study is a twelve-month prospective study in which different clinical samples including urine, pus, blood and ascetic fluids were collected from patients with evidence of nosocomial infection at the period from December 2005 to December 2006. These specimens were subjected to a culture on blood and Mac Conkey agar, gram staining, catalase test, bile aesculin hydrolysis and salt tolerance test for isolation of enterococci. Enterococcal strains were further identified to the species level by using biochemical tests which are based on sugar fermentation, pyruvate utilization and arginine decarboxylation. Antimicrobial susceptibility was done for the isolates by disc diffusion method and agar dilution for vancomycin MIC determination
Results: The enterococci infection rate in our hospital was 3.3% isolated from urine [65%], pus [30%] and from ascetic fluid [5%] [p>0.005]. The majority of the isolates were E.faecalis [55%] followed by E. faecium [30%], E. durans [10%] and E. avium [5%]. The most common source of isolation was the internal medicine departments and ICUs [p>0.05]. By disc diffusion method, E.faecalis was more resistant than E.faecium to tertracyclines [P<0.05] and aminoglycosides [P<0.01]. Otherwise, E.faecium was more resistant than E.faecalis to penicillins [P<0.01] and quinolones [P<0.001]. All the strains were sensitive to vancomycin by disc diffusion method. The 20 isolates were further tested by agar dilution method to determine their vancomycin MICs. All the strains were vancomycin susceptible with MICs ranged from 1 micro g/ml to 4 micro g/ml
RESUMEN
Enterococci which are part of the normal intestinal flora are opportunistic human pathogens. The two most important species, E.faecalis and E.faecium are among the leading causes of nosocomial infections that may cause severe infections including endocarditis, urinary tract infection, septicemia and wound infections which are often difficult to treat. The aim of the present study was Isolation and characterization of enterococci from patients with nosocomial infections were performed to determine the most common species responsible for nosocomial infections and to study the patterns of resistance of the isolated strains
Methods: this study is a twelve-month prospective study in which different clinical samples including urine, pus, blood and ascetic fluids were collected from patients with evidence of nosocomial infection at the period from December 2005 to December 2006. These specimens were subjected to a culture on blood and Mac Conkey agar, gram staining, catalase test, bile aesculin hydrolysis and salt tolerance test for isolation of enterococci. Enterococcal strains were further identified to the species level by using biochemical tests which are based on sugar fermentation, pyruvate utilization and arginine decarboxylation. Antimicrobial susceptibility was done for the isolates by disc diffusion method and agar dilution for vancomycin MIC determination
Results: The enterococci infection rate in our hospital was 3.3% isolated from urine [65%], pus [30%] and from ascetic fluid [5%] [p>0.005]. The majority of the isolates were E.faecalis [55%] followed by E. faecium [30%], E. durans [10%] and E. avium [5%]. The most common source of isolation was the internal medicine departments and ICUs [p>0.05]. By disc diffusion method, E.faecalis was more resistant than E.faecium to tertracyclines [P<0.05] and aminoglycosides [P<0.01]. Otherwise, E.faecium was more resistant than E.faecalis to penicillins [P<0.01] and quinolones [P<0.001]. All the strains were sensitive to vancomycin by disc diffusion method. The 20 isolates were further tested by agar dilution method to determine their vancomycin MICs. All the strains were vancomycin susceptible with MICs ranged from 1 micro g/ml to 4 micro g/ml