Abstract

Mahin Jamshidi1, Sedigheh Javadpour2*, Tasnim Eghbal Eftekhari1, Nahid Moradi1andFaegheh Jomehpour2

Nosocomial Infections (NIs) are an important cause of morbidity, mortality and economic problems especially in intensive care units (ICUs). This study aim was to investigate antimicrobial resistance pattern of the regional microorganisms in ICU patients. In a cross sectional study, 500 specimens from patients admitted in the ICU who had signs or symptoms of nosocomial infection were collected (2005 - 2006). For each patient, samples of blood, urine, sputum, foley catheters, nasogastric tubes and endotracheal tubes were obtained, cultured, dyed and analyzed with antibiogram. The most common locations for infection were respiratory tract (54.2%). The most frequent gram negative microorganisms derived from samples were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (43.2%) and Klebsiella spp (33.7%) as well as Staphylococcus aureus (39.2%) among gram positive microorganisms. Amikacin and imipenem were the most active antibiotics against gram-negative microorganisms (54% and 46% respectively) and most of these microorganisms were resistant to cephepime and tobramycin (77% and 75%, respectively). Staphylococcus species were sensitive to vancomycin (83.3%) and high resistant to cloxacillin (96.6%). As gram-negative pathogens acquired from ICU patients in our settings show high resistance to antibiotics. Regular monitoring of the pattern of resistance of common pathogens in the ICUs is critical in planning the best routines for empirical treatment of infectious patients.