Prevalence and in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of Acinetobacter baumannii strains in a Moroccan university hospital

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the clinical presentations and the current antimicrobial susceptibility of Acinetobacter baumannii. RESULTS: We identified 754 strains especially from intensive care units (50.53%) between January 2003 and December 2005. Bronchial swabs and blood culture were prevalent. High-level resistance to betalactamines was noted: 91% to cefotaxime, 50.3% to ceftazidime, and 42.6% to imipenem. Aminoside resistance varied from 17.9% for netilmicine to 72.1% for gentamycin. The resistance rate to ciprofloxacine was 65.8%, and to trimethoprime-sulfamethoxazole 75.8%. In intensive care units, the antimicrobial resistance rate of A. baumannii was higher (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The resistance of A. baumannii to current antibiotics is alarming especially in intensive care units. An effective strategy against nosocomial infection is still necessary.