Frequency of Vancomycin, Gentamicin, Erythromycin and Tetracycline Resistance in Enterococci Isolated from Children's Hospital of Tabriz in 2017: A Short Report

Enterococci as a part of the normal flora of human gastrointestinal tracts can cause infections in children and adults who have a weaker immune system. The aim of this study was to determine and compare vancomycin, gentamicin, erythromycin and tetracycline resistance in enterococci isolated from Tabriz Children’s Hospital.
In this laboratory study, between May 2016 and May 2017, one hundred enterococci isolates (fifty clinical isolates from variant specimens and fifty stool isolates from different parts of Tabriz Children’s Hospital) were collected. After determinig the type, they were tested for their resistance against antibiotics (vancomycin, gentamicin, erythromycin, tetracycline) by disk diffusion. Data analysis was performed using T-test.
Out of 50 clinical isolates, 23 (46%) isolates belonged to Enterococcus faecium while 27 (54%) isolates were Enterococcus faecalis. Among 50 stool isolates, 48 (96%) isolates were Enterococcus faecium and 2 (4%) isolates were Enterococcus faecalis. The results also indicated that there was a significant difference between the clinical and stool isolates in regard to vancomycin (p=0.004), but no significant difference was observed between the clinical and stool isolates in regard to the other antibiotics.
Considering the results, stool isolates have higher resistance to antibiotics than those of clinical isolates. Increasing antibiotic resistant strains, especially vancomycin among enterococci, is a serious threat to the general public, especially hospitalized patients, and limits the treatment options for patients with nosocomial infections.