[Non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli: distribution in clinical specimens and antimicrobial susceptibility]

In the present work was studied the prevalence, distribution in clinical specimens, and antimicrobial susceptibility of non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli (NFGNB) from patients attended at Hospital "Angela I. de Llano" (Corrientes, Argentina). A total of 125 strains of NFGNB were recovered from various clinical specimens from July, 1997 to December, 1998. Isolates were identified by classical biochemical tests. Drug sensitivity was performed by standard methods with cefotaxime (CTX), ceftazidime (CAZ), piperacillin (PIP), ampicillin-sulbactam (AMS), piperacillin/tazobactam (TAZ), imipenem (IMP), amikacin (AKN), gentamicin (GEN) and ciprofloxacin (CIP). The most common isolates were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (48.8%); Acinetobacter baumannii (16.8%), Acinetobacter spp. (6.4%), Chryseobacterium spp. (5.6%), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (4%), and others (18.4%). Most of them were recovered from respiratory secretions (36.0%), and urine (26.4%). IMP was the most effective antimicrobial. Many species of NFGNB showed resistance to several antibiotics tested (CTX, GEN, AMS, and CIP). Due to multiresistance found by more prevalent NFGNB, constant survey of antibacterial sensibility are essential for a correct control and management of nosocomial infections, and ambulatory patients with some risk factors.