[Nationwide survey of susceptibilities of clinical isolates to antibacterial agents in 1992].

This study was conducted to investigate susceptibilities of clinical isolates to imipenem (IPM) and other antibacterial agents in 144 hospital laboratories throughout Japan from September to December of 1992. In this study, the isolates were identified and susceptibility tests were performed at individual laboratories. The susceptibility tests were performed using the disk dilution method recommended by NCCLS. S. aureus (including MRSA) strains were highly susceptible to arbekacin (ABK) and netilmicin (NTL). S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae were susceptible to most of the agents tested. E. faecalis were highly susceptible to penicillins and imipenem (IPM). P. aeruginosa showed high susceptibility to ceftazidime (CAZ), IPM and amikacin (AMK). Annual changes in antimicrobial susceptibility patterns over 5 years (1988-1992) were examined. The frequency of sensitive strains of S. aureus to methicillin (DMPPC) has slightly increased from 1991 to 1992. A moderate increases of PCG-insensitive S. pneumoniae was observed. B. fragilis group showed a slight increase in sensitivity to minocycline (MINO) but no yearly changes in IPM sensitivity was observed.