Epidemiology and Imipenem Resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates at the Regional Military University Hospital of Oran (HMRUO), Algeria.

Globally, Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as an important nosocomial pathogen and as highly resistant to clinically relevant antibiotics, namely, carbapenems. In this study, we aimed to determine the epidemiological profile and the imipenem (IPM) resistance rate of a clinical collection of A. baumannii isolates. This study was carried out at the Central Laboratory of the Oran Regional University Military Hospital (Hôpital militaire régional universitaire d'Oran) over a period of 7 years (January 2010-December 2016). The frequency of A. baumannii isolates was not constant over the 7 years; however, an increasing trend was observed. Among the 168 isolates, the majority was isolated from male patients (n = 131, 78%). Patients in the intensive care unit had a higher risk of developing A. baumannii infection (76%) compared to other hospital services, and protected distal pulmonary samples were the main site of isolation of A. baumannii isolates (34%). Among the collected isolates, 106 were IPM resistant and exhibited multidrug phenotypes. These results confirm the multidrug-resistant nature of A. baumannii and its nosocomial behavior. The emergence of this bacterial species represents a serious therapeutic and epidemiological problem, hence the need for the establishment of a system for monitoring the microbial environment of the hospital and the strict application of hygiene measures.