Authors

1 Assistant Professor of Microbiology, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

2 Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

3 Pharmacologist, Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

4 Assistant Professor of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

5 Postgraduate of Microbiology, Taleghani Hospital, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

Abstract

Background & Aims: Acinetobacter spp. are non-fermenting gram-negative coccobacilli that have emerged in recent three decades as major causes of nosocomial infections. Acinetobacter baumannii is the most common pathogen causing a wide spectrum of infections. Acinetobacter infections are difficult to treat, due to both the intrinsic resistance of the pathogen and its ability to readily acquire new resistance mechanisms. Methods: A total of 84 Acinetobacter strains isolated from clinical samples were identified at the species level by biochemical tests. Then their susceptibility to 23 antibiotics and synergism among some of them were determined using disk agar diffusion testing. Antibiogram results were interpreted by using CLSI standard tables. Results: The highest rate of drug resistance (92-98%) was observed to ampicillin, cefpodoxime, cefotaxime and ceftriaxone. Tigecycline, colistin and polymyxin B with the least resistance (3-14%) were identified as the most effective antibiotics. Conclusion: Non-fermentative bacteria such as Acinetobacter always are known as examples of drugresistant bacteria. The results of the present study also indicate a high level of resistance to different antibiotics. Difference in the rates of Acinetobacter resistance to antibiotics based on geographical areas was observed.

Keywords