RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE To investigate the oropharyngeal bacterial carriage in hospitalized elderly patients without acute infections and the antimicrobial resistance,and the risk factors for the bacterial carriage.METHODS An oropharyngeal swab was taken from each patient after they rinsed their mouths with sterile saline.Bacteria were cultured and identified with routine methods and the antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out with disk diffusion method.RESULTS The oropharyngeal bacterial carriage rate was 55.2% in elderly patients.Sixty two pathogens were isolated including 56(90.3%) strains of Gram-negative bacilli,5(8.1%) Gram-positive cocci and 1 Candida albicans.All of 34 strains of Haemophilus spp were susceptible to antimicrobials tested such as ampicillin and cefaclor,a few strains were resistant to gentamicin and ciprofloxacin.Of 10 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae,4 strains were extended-spectrum ?-lactamases positive and resistant to cefotaxime.Logistic analysis indicated that denture-wearing was the risk factor for the oropharyngeal bacterial carriage in elderly.CONCLUSIONS Oropharyngeal bacterial carriage rate is high in hospitalized elderly patients.The major colonized bacteria are Gram-negative bacilli.Denture-wearing is the risk factor for the oropharyngeal bacterial carriage in elderly.