Objectives: To describe the frequency of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing enterobacteriaceae in fecal samples at the National Institute of Child Health, Lima, Peru.
Materials and methods: Stool samples received between July 2012 and March 2013 with colonies suspected to be ESBL-producing enterobacteriaceae that developed in Karmali agar were analyzed. Conventional methods were performed for biochemical identification and the confirmation of the ESBL phenotype. Genotypic analysis to detect the beta-lactamase gene CTX-M family was performed by PCR.
Results: Of the 235 fecal samples analyzed, 64.2% of ESBL-producing enterobacteria was isolated being 86.1% Escherichia coli, 7.9% Klebsiella pneumoniae, 2.6% Salmonella sp, 2.0% Enterobacter cloacae, and 1.3% Proteus mirabilis. 89.1% of the ESBL-producing enterobacteria presented the CTX-M gene. We found high resistance to nalidixic acid 84.8%, 74.2% ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole 81.5%.The resistance to amikacin was 1.3% and all isolates were susceptible to imipenem and meropenem.
Conclusions: A high frequency of ESBL-producing enterobacteria was found in fecal samples of outpatients seen in the outpatient and emergency departments of the National Institute of Child Health of Peru.