[Survey on drug resistance to ciprofloxacin in common pathogenic bacteria]

To obtain primary knowledge of drug resistance to ciprofloxacin in the common pathogenic bacteria in this hospital thereby to bring the situation under control.

A total of 3 800 strains of pathogenic bacteria were isolated from in-patients from 1997 to 2000, and drug resistance of these strains to ciprofloxacin was examined.

During the past 4 years, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Enterococcus faecalis were found to be highly resistant to ciprofloxacin with the rates still on the rise from 50%, 25.6% and 40.3% in 1997 to 62.2%, 53.4% and 63.6% respectively in 2000. Over 40% of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter were resistant to ciprofloxacin and the percentages for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter reached 31.1% to 34.0% in 2000. Among the 189 strains of the pathogenic bacteria isolated from patients with sustained infection in our hospital in 2000, over 70% of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Enterococcus faecalis were identified as having resistance to ciprofloxacin.

The percentages of common pathogenic bacteria that are resistant to ciprofloxacin have been considerably high and tend to increase further. Ciprofloxacin abuse needs to be given appropriate attention.