Susceptibility of anaerobic bacteria: implementation of cumulative antibiogram at hospital level

Empiric therapy should be modified according to local susceptibility data. This condition could not be satisfied for some pathogens, as anaerobes.Therefore, treatment of infections related to the anaerobic flora - e.g. gastrointestinal surgery - is based on presumptive ecology of site of the infection. The aim of the study was to arrange a local cumulative “antibiogram” to support empiric therapy of anaerobic infections, useful for surgical area.A systematic review of all bacterial identifications and susceptibility tests of anaerobic bacteria of inpatients, over eight year period, was performed. 255 non-duplicate strains were evaluated: 41 Gram positive and 214 Gram negative.Among genera, Bacteroides and Prevotella were the most represented. Over 75% of microorganisms derived from SSI specimens. It was observed high frequency of beta-lactamase producers (~81%). Chloramphenicol, imipenem, metronidazole, piperacillin-tazobactam (>95% S) showed to be the most effective antimicrobials, followed by amoxicillin-clavulanate and cefoxitin (80-90% S); clindamycin had poor effectiveness(~64% S). Our local data were similar with recognized European susceptibility of anaerobes.