Resistance of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolated from different Sources to β-Lactam Antibiotics

Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae are important human pathogens that cause many infectious diseases. β-lactam antibiotics are commonly used in the treatment of these infections. However, resistance to such antibiotics complicates the treatment. Mechanisms of resistance to β-lactams include production of β-lactamases, efflux pumps, change in drug targets and outer membrane impermeability. This study was performed to investigate the resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli to β-lactam antibiotics. The study was carried out from May 2014 to May 2015. Five hundred clinical isolates were collected from patients in Belquas Hospital and Mansoura University Hospitals. Three hundred isolates were identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli (one hundred and fifty isolates each). Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli isolates showed high resistance to cefoperazone and ceftriaxone, intermediate resistance to cefoxitin, cefotaxime, ceftazidime and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and low resistance to imipenem and meropenem. Klebsiella pneumoniae showed more resistance than Escherichia coli. Resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae was higher to cefoperazone, ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, imipenem and meropenem. However, Escherichia coli was more resistant to cefotaxime and cefoxitin. The resistance to amoxicillin-clavulinic acid was more or less similar in both bacteria. In conclusion, the resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli isolates to B-lactams was high and this needs a strict policy for antibiotic dispensing to reduce the emergence of resistance.