Proteus bacteraemia in a general hospital 1972-1982

Area of Science:

• Clinical microbiology
• Infectious diseases
• Antimicrobial resistance

Background:

• Proteus species are significant Gram-negative pathogens causing bacteraemia.
• Understanding their prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility is crucial for effective treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the incidence and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Proteus species in blood cultures over a 10-year period.
• To identify trends in resistance to commonly used antibiotics.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 318 Proteus spp. isolates from blood cultures collected between 1972 and 1982.
• Assessment of antibiotic susceptibility testing results.

Main Results:

• Proteus spp. accounted for 14.4% of aerobic Gram-negative blood isolates.
• Bacteraemia was more prevalent in male patients within internal medicine services.
• A high degree of antibiotic resistance was observed.
• From 1976 onwards, 49 isolates showed sensitivity to gentamicin or tobramycin, but not both.

Conclusions:

• Proteus bacteraemia represented a notable proportion of Gram-negative bloodstream infections during the study period.
• High levels of antibiotic resistance pose a challenge for treating Proteus infections.
• Limited sensitivity to key antibiotics like gentamicin and tobramycin highlights the need for ongoing surveillance and treatment strategy evaluation.