Abstract
The effect of antibiotic cycling was investigated to reduce colonization and infection with Acinetobacter baumannii and Enterobacter cloacae strains with resistance to cefotaxime. Four antibiotic regimens were used in 3-month cycles from June 2004 to May 2007. The regimens were cefotaxime, meropenem, ceftriaxone, and ampicillin+gentamicin. These antibiotics were administered for all empirical therapy to critically ill newborns with suspected bacterial infection. Comparing the period before antibiotic cycling (December 2003 to May 2004) to the study period (December 2006 to May 2007), the resistance rate to cefotaxime decreased from 40.8% to 12.5% (p<0.05) in A. baumannii and from 60.0% to 0% (p<0.05) in E. cloacae. No changes in resistance to other antibiotics were observed in A. baumannii and E. cloacae. However, the rate of extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Klebsiella oxitoca was increased.
