Neonatal bacteremia due to high level aminoglycoside resistant (HLAR) enterococci

A study was conducted to determine the drug resistance pattern of enterococci isolated from cases of neonatal bacteremia. A total of 41 strains of enterococci were isolated of which 35 (85.4%) were Enterococcus faecalis and 6 (14.6%) were Enterococcus faecium. A total of 3 (8.6%) strains of E. faecalis and 2 (33.3%) E. faecium strains showed high level aminoglycoside resistance (HLAR). None of the enterococci tested were vancomycin resistant. Drug resistance was more common among E. faecium strains. All clinically significant isolates of enterococci should be tested for their antibiotic sensitivity pattern including HLAR, and for treatment, antibiotics are selected based on in vitro antibiotic sensitivity test results.