AUTHOR=Wu Dan , Ding Yijun , Yao Kaihu , Gao Wei , Wang Yajuan 

TITLE=Antimicrobial Resistance Analysis of Clinical Escherichia coli Isolates in Neonatal Ward

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pediatrics

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2021.670470

DOI=10.3389/fped.2021.670470

ISSN=2296-2360

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold><italic>Escherichia coli</italic> (<italic>E. coli</italic>) column for one of the most common pathogens causing neonatal infections. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a major cause of treatment failure in infected newborns. The purpose of this study was to describe antibiotic and multidrug resistance of <italic>E. coli</italic> strains isolated from neonates with infection throughout the years 2009–2011.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> The antimicrobial susceptibility testing of <italic>E. coli</italic> strains to selected antibiotics was assessed using the E-test technique on the Mueller-Hinton agar. The antimicrobial tests included ceftazidime, cefuroxime, cefatriaxone, amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cefoperazone- sulbactam, meropenem, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, and sulfonamides.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> A total of 100 <italic>E. coli</italic> strains were isolated from sputum (<italic>n</italic> = 78), blood (<italic>n</italic> = 10), cerebrospinal fluid (<italic>n</italic> = 5), and umbilical discharge (<italic>n</italic> = 7) samples of hospitalized neonates at the Beijing Children's Hospital. The highest rate of <italic>E. coli</italic> resistance was found in amoxicillin (85%), followed by cefuroxime (65%), and cefatriaxone (60%), respectively. A total of 6 and 5% of all isolates were only resistant to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and cefoperazone -sulbactam. The rates of resistance to ceftazidime, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, and sulfonamides were 31, 20, 33, and 47%, respectively. All isolates were susceptible to meropenem. Approximately 26% of all <italic>E. coli</italic> isolates were multidrug-resistant. The detection rate of ESBL-Producing <italic>E. coli</italic> was 55%.</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> Multi-drug-resistant <italic>E. coli</italic> has become an important and complex problem in clinical treatment, and it is thus essential to monitor <italic>E. coli</italic> resistance in neonates.</p>