PREVALENCE AND ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY RESULTS OF EXTENDED-SPECTRUM Β-LACTAMASES-PRODUCING ESCHERICHIA COLI AND KLEBSIELLA IN A TERTIARY HOSPITAL

This study aimed to determine the prevalence and assess antimicrobial susceptibility of extended- spectrum β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella isolated from urine specimens of patients at a tertiary hospital in Tirana, Albania. During January 2013 to June 2014, a total of 588 positive isolates were collected. Isolates were identified, tested for antimicrobial susceptibility and screened for ESBL production as per standard methods. The overall prevalence of ESBL-producing strains was 17.2%, 95%CI (14.3-20.4) were found to be positive for ESBL by phenotypic methods. Among the ESBL-producing strains for both E. coli and Klebsiella, high resistance rates were observed for ceftriakson (90%), nalidixicacid (88.9%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (86.2%), Ceftazidime (81.8%),cefotaxime (80.0%), ciprofloxacin (72.7%), levofloxacine (70%) and aztreonam (61.4%). Except for cefoperazone, ESBL-producing isolates were significantly more resistant to other antibiotics compared to non-ESBL producing isolates (p