Antibiotic resistance among enterococcal strains isolated from clinical specimens.

The distribution and resistance patterns of clinical isolates of enterococci from hospital patients were compared with those obtained from outpatients. Of 235 enterococcal isolates 212 (90.2%) were identified as Enterococcus faecalis and 23 (9.8%) as E. faecium. E. faecium occurred more frequently in specimens from hospitalized patients than from outpatients (P < 0.001). Over 90% of all E. faecalis isolates were susceptible to ampicillin. Resistance to ampicillin occurred in 66.7% of hospital strains of E. faecium. High-level resistance to gentamicin (MIC > 500 mg/l) was seen in 37.03% of inpatients' and in 11.5% of outpatients' E. faecalis isolates and in 76.2% of hospital isolates of E. faecium. High-level streptomycin resistance (MIC > 2000 mg/l) occurred in 52.8% of E. faecalis and 76.2% of E. faecium hospital isolates. There were no isolates resistant to vancomycin. The community acquired strains isolated from outpatients were more susceptible than isolates from hospitalized patients to all antimicrobial agents tested.