Antimicrobial resistance in eight US hospitals along the US-Mexico border, 2000-2006

Epidemiol Infect. 2014 Nov;142(11):2378-87. doi: 10.1017/S095026881300318X. Epub 2013 Dec 17.

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AR) is a growing problem worldwide and international travel, cross-border migration, and antimicrobial use may contribute to the introduction or emergence of AR. We examined AR rates and trends along the US-Mexico border by analysing microbiology data from eight US hospitals in three states bordering Mexico. Microbiology data were ascertained for the years 2000-2006 and for select healthcare and community pathogens including, three Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae) and three Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus, Streptococcus pneumoniae) pathogens and 10 antimicrobial-pathogen combinations. Resistance was highest in S. aureus (oxacillin resistance 45·7%), P. aeruginosa (quinolone resistance 22·3%), and E. coli (quinolone resistance 15·6%); six (60%) of the 10 antimicrobial-pathogen combinations studied had a significantly increasing trend in resistance over the study period. Potential contributing factors in the hospital and community such as infection control practices and antimicrobial use (prescription and non-prescription) should be explored further in the US-Mexico border region.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Infective Agents / pharmacology*
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial*
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial
  • Female
  • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / drug therapy
  • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / epidemiology*
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / drug therapy
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / epidemiology*
  • Hospitals, Urban
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Male
  • Mexico / epidemiology
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Assessment
  • United States / epidemiology

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents