Prevalence and Analysis of Risk Factors for Infections Caused by Resistant Escherichia coli Strains in Anhui, China

Abstract

Background: This study analyzes the prevalence of hospital and community-acquired infections caused by Escherichia coli.

Patients and Methods: The antibiotic resistance pattern was used to characterize the isolates, and a retrospective observational study was performed to assess the relationship between antimicrobial use and bacterial resistance. The study was conducted during a 1-year and 7-month period in a 1,500-bed tertiary car hospital in Anhui, China.

Results: An E. coli infection was diagnosed in 1.4% of patients (519/36,179) admitted to the hospital beween March 1, 1999 and August 31, 2000. Of the 519 isolates, 489 (94.2%) were resistant to at least one antimicrobial; 86% were resistant to ampicillin, 85% to cephalothin, 83% to piperacillin, 77% to ampicillin/sulbactam, 72% to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ), 70% to ciprofloxacin, 61% to cefoperazone, 58%& to tobramycin, 56% to gentamicin, 48% to ticarcillin-clavulanate, 44% to cefazolin, 43% to defuroxime, 36% to cefoxitin, 32% to cefepime, 29% to aztreonam, cefetaxime and ceftriaxone, 28% to ceftazidime, 19% to piperacillin/tazobactam, 10% to amikacin, while all strains tested were susceptible to imipenem.

Conclusion: Prior receipt of amtimicrobial therapy was significantly associated with infection caused by a resistant organism.