Analysis of the drug resistance of extended-spectrum β-lactamase(ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli in cancer patients

Objective The objective of the study was to assess the clinical distribution and drug resistance of extended-spectrumβ-lactamase(ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli in cancer patients with hospital-acquired infection with such bacterial strain,aiming to provide a scientific reference for the rational use of antibiotics in clinical practices. Methods The distribution and drug resistance of 297 strains of ESBL-producing E. coli isolated from clinical specimens of malignant cancer patients between July of2013 and June of 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Results Among 446 isolated E. coli strains, 297 were ESBL-producing strains, accounting for 66.59%. Positive rates of urine, hydrothorax and ascites, sputum, blood, wound secretion, cerebral spinal fluid, and sanies were 26.27%, 16.17%, 15.16%, 13.81%, 13.14%, 12.13%, and 3.37%, respectively; and the strains were mainly found in departments of gynecologic cancer, hepatology, and gastroenterology. ESBL-producing strains have significantly stronger resistance against several antibiotics than non-ESBL-producing strains(P0.05); their drug resistance was over 90% against penicillin and cephalosporin, and was higher than 60% against sulfanilamide, quinolone, and aminoglycosides. Conclusion Multidrug-resistant ESBL-producing E. coli has shown to commonly exist among cancer patients with hospital-acquired infection.Clinical microbiology laboratories should strengthen the monitoring of drug resistance of ESBL-producing E. coli, so as to provide guidance on the rational use of antibiotics and reduce the emergence of drug-resistant strains.