Acinetobacter
species are emerging as an important nosocomial pathogen. Multidrug-resistant
Acinetobacter spp. has limited the option for effective treatment. Although carbapenems are effective for the treatment of such infections, resistance to this drug has recently been reported. This study was undertaken to assess resistance to carbapenem in clinical isolates of
Acinetobacter spp. from hospitalized patients by both discdiffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) methods. All clinical samples from suspected cases of nosocomial infections were processed, and 265 isolates were identified as
Acinetobacter species. These isolates were tested for antibiotic resistance by the disc-diffusion method with 14 antimicrobials, including meropenem and imipenem. Thereafter, all
Acinetobacter species were subjected to MIC for meropenem. More than 80% resistance to second- and third-generation cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, and quinolones was recorded. Thirty percent of the strains were resistant to cefoperazone/sulbactam. Resistance to meropenem was observed in 6.4% of
Acinetobacter spp. while 8.3% of the isolates showed intermediate resistance detected by MIC. All carbapenem-resistant/intermediate strains were also resistant to other (>10) antibiotics tested by the disc-diffusion method. The rising trend of resistance to carbapenem poses an alarming threat to the treatment for such infections. Regular monitoring, judicious prescription, and early detection of resistance to carbapenem are necessary to check further dissemination of drug resistance in
Acinetobacter spp.
