Evaluation of antibiotic sensitivity and resistance of Klebsiella species from humans respiratory and urinary tract infections

Klebsiellae are ubiquitous in nature and in humans they may colonize the skin Pharynx, gastrointestinal tract and may be implicated in causing nosocomial infections. Extensive use of broad-spectrum antibiotics has led to both increased carriage of Klebsiella and subsequently the development of multi-drug resistant strains that produce extended spectrum beta lactamases. The objective of this study was to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of 276 isolates of Klebsiellae obtained from 318 subjects suspected with gastrointestinal and respiratory infections. After growth on Urichrome II medium the drug sensitivity and resistance patterns were detected by disc diffusion assay using about 24 different antibiotics. The Klebsiella pneumoniae strains isolated from urine were uniformly resistant to azithromycin, clarithromycin, Ampicillin + cloaxacillin, roxithromycin, augmentin and lomefloxacin. The strains isolated from respiratory specimen were uniformly resistant to roxithromycin, nitrofurantoin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, cefaclor, nalidixic acid furoxone, amplicillin, augmentin, ceftrioxone and lomefloxacin. Amoxycillin, cefotaxime, gentamycin and netilmycin can be used as empirical therapy for Klebsiella infection of the urinary tract. Ciprofloxacin, amoxycillin and cefoperazone may be used as the drugs of choice for Klebsiella infections of the respiratory tract. This study could help in updating the common antibiotic sensitivity patterns when starting empirical antibiotic therapy in Indian subjects suffering from Klebsiella infections.