A One Year Survey on the Epidemiology of Aminoglycoside Resistance in a General Hospital: Influence of Amikacin.

SummaryIn a 15 month period we have studied the epidemiology of aminoglycoside resistance in ai general hospital. We determined the effect of preferential amikacin usage on the resistance levels of amikacin, gentamicin, tobramycin, netilmicin and dibekacin. The resistance levels’ to each of these antibiotics were monitored in a> 3 month baseline phase during which amikacin usage was less than 1 %. During the remainder 12 months, amikacin was the aminoglycoside of choice and in this period no significant change in aminoglycoside resistance was noted. Nevertheless some changes in the combined resistance were found. From the aminoglycoside resistant strains only 8.8 % showed resistance to amikacin. Isolated amikacin resistance was not found and amikacin resistant strains showed cross-resistance to nearly all the other aminoglycosides.