[Bacteremias in a university hospital: study of etiologic agents and their sensitivity patterns]

To determine the bacterial etiology of bacteremic episodes recorded at our hospital during 1995 and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns.

The microbiological records of all bacteremic episodes detected at our hospital from January to December 1995 were analysed. The susceptibility patterns of the 334 gram-positive aerobic isolates to 11 antimicrobials and of 236 gram-negative aerobic isolates to 16 antimicrobial agents were determined. The reference agar dilution method was used for these determinations.

The incidence of bacteremia was 19.3/1,000 admissions. Gram-positive aerobic bacteria accounted for 56.6% of monomicrobial bacteremias; the microorganisms recovered most frequently were coagulase-negative staphylococci (22.4%), Escherichia coli (16.5%) and Staphylococcus aureus (14.2%); 75 polymicrobial episodes were recorded. Over half of bacteremic episodes occurred at medical services. Hematologic diseases and solid tumours were the most common underlying diseases. No resistance to glycopeptides was observed among the staphylococci studied. The incidence of resistance to vancomycin in enterococci was small (1.5%). The aminoglycosides tested and some beta lactams showed good activity against the gram-negative bacilli studied.

To carry out an epidemiologic surveillance of bacteremic episodes occurring at every hospital it is necessary to provide information on trends observed in the etiology of such infections, possible outbreaks, antimicrobial resistance, and uncommon pathogens.