Incidence of Antibiotic Resistance and Transmissible R Factors in the Gram-Negative Bowel Flora of Hospital Patients on Admission

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Abstract
Stool specimens obtained on admission of 95 patients to a male urological ward were examined quantitatively for antibiotic-resistant gram-negative aerobic bacteria. All patients excreted resistant strains of some kind; 67% resistant Escherichia coli strains. Organisms resistant to sulphonamides, tetracyclines, and streptomycin occurred at a frequency of 10–3–10–4. Ampicillin resistance was encountered most frequently, i.e.>10–2, whereas organisms resistant to chloramphenicol were found less often (10–6). Transmissible R factors were demonstrated in 53/121 (44%) resistant E. coli strains. A connection between tetracycline resistance and ability to transfer resistance was demonstrated. Resistance to chloramphenicol did not occur as a single resistance trait but was transferred from all strains resistant to this antibiotic.