Characteristics of Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Enterobacter Species

Enterobacter균종의 항균제 감수성의 본태

A total of 58 strains of Enterobacter species isolated from clinical specimens at Kyungpook National University Hospital in Taegu and Yonsei University Hospital in Seoul were tested for the molecular characterization to investigate the nosocomial infection through the study of R plasmids which might spread among Gram negative organisms regardless of their originated strains. All strains resistant to ampicillin, cefoxitin and cephalothin but susceptible to moxalactam were subjected to the further test for the determination of in detail MIC value against 23 drugs of common use including beta-lactam antibiotics and R plasmid profile analysis. The reistance frequency of strains against carbenicillin (53.4%) was similar to those against chloramphenicol, tobramycin, and sulfisomidine. Though the MIC values of resistance criteria against ceftazidime, aztreonam, imipenem, and norfloxacine in NCCLS manual were not available but MIC ranges of strains tested were very low. There were differences in patterns and frequencies of resistance between the strains isolated in Seoul and Taegu isolates. Seoul isolates showed a tendency of higher multiplicity of resistance than those of Taegu isolates. The resistances against cefoxitin, cephalothin, cefoperazone, cefotaxime, nalidixic acid, and rifampin were not conferred to the conjugally transferable R plasmid. The approximate molecular size of conjugally transferable R plasmids ranged 30 to 151 megadalton, and one or 2 to 3 R plasmids were identified in each transconjugants.