Reappraisal of the significance of multiply resistant urinary isolates of Proteus rettgeri

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Abstract
Proteus rettgeri was isolated from the urine of 150 patients, few of whom showed evidence of active clinical infection. The isolates were divided into eight biotypes. Consideration of the biotypes with antibiotic sensitivity patterns did not indicate a prevalent strain or clusters of infection. Eighty-three per cent of isolates were resistant to all 13 antibiotics tested. Gentamicin and tobramycin were the most effective agents, but only 7.3% and 12.6% of strains, respectively, were sensitive to these antibiotics. Resistance plasmids were demonstrated in 15.3% of strains. Fourteen plasmid resistance patterns were identified and R factors for ampicillin were commonest. It is suggested that such highly resistant strains reflect the widespread use of antibiotics, especially ampicillin, and that the potential for resistance transfer to more pathogenic genera represents the major hazard of these urinary isolates.

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