Susceptibility to antibiotics in isolates of Lactobacillus plantarum RAPD‐type Lp299v, harvested from antibiotic treated, critically ill patients after administration of probiotics

Recultured Lactobacillus plantarum 299v‐like strains were tested regarding antibiotic susceptibility, and no decrease was detected. Antibiotics are frequently used to treat patients in intensive care units (ICUs) and are associated with a significant risk of selection of resistant bacterial strains. In particular, it is possible that genetic transfer of antibiotic resistance to the resident gastrointestinal flora, as well as to administered probiotics, may be increased in the ICU setting. The aim of the present investigation was to detect possible changes in antimicrobial susceptibility in reisolates of the probiotic strain Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (Lp299v) given to antibiotic treated, critically ill patients. Lp299v‐like strains were identified in cultures of biopsies and fecal samples from 32 patients given the probiotic strain enterally in two previous ICU studies. The patients received a variety of antibiotics. Isolates with the same genomic RAPD profile (RAPD‐type) as Lp299v were obtained to enable monitoring of antibiotic susceptibility by E‐tests. Forty‐two isolates, collected throughout the course of illness, were tested against 22 different antibiotics. No obvious decrease in susceptibility was found for 21 of the tested antibiotics. There was a tendency toward decreased susceptibility to ampicillin. The stable antibiotic susceptibility profiles of the Lp299v‐like isolates studied here suggests this probiotic is less likely to acquire resistance when administered to critically ill patients treated with broad‐spectrum antibiotics.