Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Mikrobiyoloji Bulteni, cilt.31, sa.3, ss.219-229, 1997 (SCI-Expanded)
The prevalence of high level gentamicin-resistant (HLGR), high level streptomycin-resistant (HLSR) and vancomycin resistant (VR) enterococci was determined by obtaining rectal swab samples from 80 patients admitted to Marmara University Hospital and 20 healthy controls and two main sewage samples in Istanbul. All clinical samples contained enterococci except 8 from medical ward patients. Four hundred-sixty strains were identified to species level and 322 of strains were identified as E.faecalis (70%), 99 as E.faecium (21.5%), 19 as E.avium (4.1%), 17 as E.durans (3.6%) and 3 a E.gallinarum (0.6%). Ten of 45 (22%) intensive care unit patients, 12 of 35 (34%) medical ward patients who has taken vancomycin at least one week and 1 of 20 healthy volunteers not exposed to antibiotics or associated with medical care were found to be colonized with HLSR enterococci. One of 45 (2%) intensive care unit patients, 7 or 35 (20%) medical ward patients and none of the healthy volunteers were found to be colonized with HLGR enterococci. The only HLGR isolate and 5 of 10 HLSR isolates were acquired during intensive care unit stay. Staying in the hospital for more than 2 weeks and previous admission to the hospital within last month have been found to be significant risk factors for the colonization of high level aminoglicoside resistant enterococci (p=0.003 and p=0.02, respectively). To our knowledge, this study was the first one demonstrating nosocomial acquisition of resistant enterococci in Turkey. Although none of the fecal samples and the samples taken from the sewage in Istanbul revealed VR enterococci, we believe that further surveillance studies are needed for early detection of such strains in Turkey.