EVOLUTION OF IMIPENEM RESISTANCE IN ESCHERICHIA COLI : A 9-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE SURVEILLANCE REPORT IN A HOSPITAL POPULATION OF SOUTHERN CHINA

Abstract

Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) is one of the most common causes of hospital-acquired infection. Our aim was to assess the evolution of Imipenem Resistance in Escherichia coli at the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University (Guangzhou, China) from 2010 to 2018. 3412 non-duplicate strains of E. coli were isolated from inpatients and outpatients during the researched period. The majority of isolates appeared in the urine sample (57.68%) were derived from Urology(33.76%). With an average imipenem resistance rate of 0.61%, 27 strains of E. coli were detected. From 2010 to 2018, the resistance rates of the 3412 strains of E. coli to imipenem were 0, 0.00%, 0.35%, 0.30%, 0.26%, 0.44%, 1.08%, 0.70%, 2.33%, respectively. The overall imipenem resistant rate of E. coli was gradually increased in recent years. Moreover, the imipenem-resistant E. coli was multi-drug resistant to the antibiotics used clinically.. Therefore, restraining the use of antibiotics is extremely urgent to avoid severe infection by resistant pathogens.