Prevalence of infectious multi-drug resistant bacteria isolated from immunocompromised patients in Tunisia

OBJECTIVES: A retrospective study was conducted in the Bone Marrow Transplant Center of Tunisia during a period of 10 years (from 2002 to 2011) in order to report the prevalence of infectious multi-drug resistant bacteria. METHODS: Bacterial identification was carried on the basis of biochemical characteristics and API identification systems. Antibiotic susceptibility was tested by disc diffusion method on Muller-Hinton agar. RESULTS: During the study period, 34.5% of 142 Klebsiella pneumoniae strains and 11.46% of 218 Escherichia coli strains were extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers. Also, 32.8% of 210 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were imipenem and/or ceftazidime resistant and 20.75% of 106 strains of Staphylococcus aureus were methicillin resistant. A rising trend was observed for the prevalence of the selected multidrug resistant bacteria. CONCLUSION: These findings may have important clinical implications in prophylaxis and selection of antibiotic treatment. Continuous surveillance is needed, especially for onco-hematological patients.