Control of emergence of multi-resistant gram-negative bacilli by exclusive use of amikacin.

Results of a three-year prospective study of amikacin as the only aminoglycoside used at the Instituto Nacional de la Nutrición "Salvador Zubirán" are presented. During the initial three-month baseline period, resistance to amikacin, gentamicin, and tobramycin among 870 gram-negative bacterial isolates was 3.2 percent, 17.4 percent, and 11.2 percent, respectively. In this period, the overall consumption of aminoglycosides was 69 percent for gentamicin, 30.5 percent for amikacin, and 0.5 percent for tobramycin. In the following period of exclusive amikacin use, sensitivity patterns of 9,344 gram-negative strains isolated over three years were recorded. During this period, amikacin constituted 99.3 percent of all aminoglycosides used. The percentage of gentamicin-resistant gram-negative strains declined to 7.4 percent (p less than 0.0001), whereas the percentage of amikacin-resistant strains did not change significantly. Quarterly trend analysis of aminoglycoside-resistant strains also demonstrated a significant decrease in gentamicin resistance (p less than 0.005) and an overall steady state of amikacin resistance. It is concluded that the exclusive use of amikacin was not accompanied by a significant increase in amikacin resistance during a three-year period, and may even lead to a decrease in resistance to gentamicin and tobramycin among most gram-negative organisms.