Abstract :
Introduction: Emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) organisms is an important public health concern especially in developing countries. The present study was carried out to assess the current antimicrobial pattern of multi-drug resistant Escherichia coli.
Materials and Methods: 346 consecutive, non-duplicate isolates of E. coli isolated during a period of two years were included in the study. The numbers of multi-drug resistant isolates were determined. Their antimicrobial resistance phenotypes and Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) index were determined.
Results: Among the 346 isolates of E. coli, 297 (85.84%) were multi-drug resistant with 61.3% of the isolates being resistant to drugs in more than five antimicrobial categories. The Multiple Antibiotic Resistance index of 82.7% of isolates was found to be greater than 0.2. Carbapenems, aminoglycosides, Chloramphenicol and Nitrofurantoin were found to be the most effective agents against MDR E.coli.
Conclusion: Antimicrobial resistance profiles of bacteria are ever-changing and periodic evaluation of resistance phenotypes of isolates is essential for the formulation of appropriate antibiotic policy and initiation of pertinent empirical therapy.
Keyword :
Antibiogram, Escherichia coli, Multi-drug Resistance, Multiple Antibiotic Resistance Index, Antibiotic Resistance Phenotypes