Prevalence of infectious multi-drug resistant bacteria isolated from immunocompromised patients in Tunisia.

OBJECTIVES

A retrospective study was conducted in the Bone Marrow Transplant Center of Tunisia during a period of 10 years (from 2002 to 2011) in order to report the prevalence of infectious multi-drug resistant bacteria.

METHODS

Bacterial identification was carried on the basis of biochemical characteristics and API identification systems. Antibiotic susceptibility was tested by disc diffusion method on Muller-Hinton agar.

RESULTS

During the study period, 34.5% of 142 Klebsiella pneumoniae strains and 11.46% of 218 Escherichia coli strains were extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers. Also, 32.8% of 210 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were imipenem and/or ceftazidime resistant and 20.75% of 106 strains of Staphylococcus aureus were methicillin resistant. A rising trend was observed for the prevalence of the selected multidrug resistant bacteria.

CONCLUSION

These findings may have important clinical implications in prophylaxis and selection of antibiotic treatment. Continuous surveillance is needed, especially for onco-hematological patients.