1School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Champs Fleurs, Trinidad and Tobago
2Consultant Microbiologist, Sangre Hospital, Eastern Regional Health Authority, Trinidad and Tobago
American Journal of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology.
2015,
Vol. 3 No. 3, 104-111
DOI: 10.12691/ajidm-3-3-3
Copyright © 2015 Science and Education PublishingCite this paper: Patricia Sealy, William H. Swanston. The Challenge to Interpret Antimicrobial Susceptibility at a Small Community Hospital.
American Journal of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology. 2015; 3(3):104-111. doi: 10.12691/ajidm-3-3-3.
Correspondence to: Patricia Sealy, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Champs Fleurs, Trinidad and Tobago. Email:
patricia.sealy2@sta.uwi.eduAbstract
Objective: We aimed to determine the prevailing resistance rates at a local community hospital for a select group of gram-positive and gram-negative microorganisms for the period 2008-2012. Methods: Aerobic and facultative anaerobic culture isolates representing blood, urine and wounds specimens from all wards were tested at the Microbiology Laboratory, using the MicroScan AutoScan4, to determine antimicrobial susceptibility at the local community hospital. Results: the findings allude to the prevalence of resistance at the institution for the period under review. Conclusion: Resistance trends are speculative at best without the inclusion of molecular characterization of resistance and consumption data. Pharmacists should play a greater role in the determination of resistance by providing the microbiologist with consumption or utilization data, such as the daily defined dose. The inclusion of the daily defined dose in the estimation of resistance would allow clinicians to determine if selective pressure may have contributed to the prevailing resistance rates.
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