Pathogens causing lower respiratory tract infections in elderly patients and analysis of drug susceptibility

OBJECTIVE To investigate the distribution and drug resistance of the pathogens isolated from sputum of elderly patients with lower respiratory tract infections so as to instruct the rational use of antibiotics.METHODS VITEK32 system was applied to identify 860 strains of pathogens which were isolated from the sputum of elderly patients with lower respiratory tract infections from Jun 2008 to Jun 2010,and the in vitro drug susceptibility testing was performed with K-B method.RESULTS Gram-negative bacilli were the major pathogens,among which Klebsiella pneumoniae accounted for 19.2%,Pseudomonas aeruginosa 14.7%,Acinetobacter baumannii 13.0%,Escherichia coli 8.7%;methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA)was the main gram-positive cocci,accounting for 9.8%;the drug resistance rates of the main gram-negative bacteria to imipenem and cefoperazone/sulbactam were lower than 25.0%,the drug resistance rates of gram-positive bacteria to teicoplanin and vancomycin were lower than 5.0%.CONCLUSION Gram-negative bacilli are the major pathogens causing lower respiratory tract infections in the elderly patients,thus it is necessary to intensify the surveillance and reasonably use antibiotics.