Extended-spectrum
β-lactamases (ESBL) are enzymes produced
by many Gram-negative bacteria which have ability to change the
susceptibility of different antimicrobial agents.
The ESBL are
plasmid-mediated enzymes with the capability to hydrolyze and
inactivate broad spectrum of
β-Lactam antimicrobials, including
third-generation cephalosporins, penicillins and aztreonam; but
are inhibited by clavulanic acidObjective:
This study aimed to determine the prevalence and assess
antimicrobial susceptibility of extended- spectrum
β
-lactamase-
producing
Escherichia coli
isolated from clinical specimens of
patients at hospitals in Khartoum State, Sudan.
Methods:
During April to August 2011, a total of 232
E. coli
isolates
were collected from various clinical specimens of patients. Isolates
were identified, tested for antimicrobial susceptibility and screened
for ESBL production as per standard methods. The double-disk
diffusion method was used to confirm ESBL production using
antimicrobial disks of ceftazidime (30 μg), cefotaxime (30 μg), with
or without clavulanic acid (10 μg). A zone difference of >5 mm
between disks was considered indicative of ESBL production.
Results:
Out of 232
E. coli
isolates, 70 (30.2%) were found to be
positive for ESBL by the applied phenotypic methods. ESBL-
producing isolates yielded high resistance rates for trimethoprim-
sulfamethoxazole (98.6%), tetracycline (88.6%), nalidixic acid
(81.4%) and ciprofloxacin (81.4%). The highest antimicrobial
activities of ESBL-producing isolates were observed for amikacin
(95.7%), followed by tobramicin (74.3%) and nitrofurantoin
(68.6%). Resistance to quinolones, aminoglycosides, trimethoprim-
sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, nitrofurantoin and chloramphenicol
was higher in ESBL than non-ESBL isolates (
p
<0.05). The
frequency of ESBL-producing isolates varied among hospitals
(18.2% to 45.1%), although a high prevalence was recorded as
45.1% at Khartoum Teaching Hospital. Wound specimens were the
most common source of ESBL-producing isolates. The proportion
of ESBL-producing
E. coli
did not differ significantly between adults
and children (31%
vs.
27%).
Conclusion:
The prevalence of ESBL-producing
E. coli
detected in
this study is of great concern, which requires sound infection control
measures including antimicrobial management and detection of
ESBL-producing isolates
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