Prevalence of extended spectrum beta lactamase and AmpC beta lactamase producers among Escherichia coli isolates in a tertiary care hospital in Jaipur.

Resistance to broad spectrum beta lactams, mediated by extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESbetaL) and AmpC betaL enzymes is an increasing problem worldwide. Presence of these in clinical infections can result in treatment failure if one of the second or third generation cephalosporins is used. Therefore, it is recommended that any ESbetaL-producing organism according to the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) criteria can be reported as resistant to all extended spectrum beta lactam antibiotics regardless of the susceptibility test results. In this study, a total of 250 Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolates were subjected to Double disc test and AmpC disc test for the detection of ESbetaL- and AmpC betaL-producing strains, respectively. Prevalence of ESbetaL- and AmpC betaL-producing strains among E. coli isolates, over a 3-month-period in the hospital-based population of Jaipur, was 64.80% (162/250). AmpC betaL producers were 24.00% (60/250) and co-existence of ESbetaL and AmpC betaL was detected in 8.00% (20/250) of the isolates.