Abstract
Between 1976 and 1981, 408 bacterial strains isolated from blood specimens of adult patients of Black Lion Hospital, Addis Ababa, were analysed for their frequency of isolation and antibiotic sensitivities. Salmonella were isolated with the highest frequency (23%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus, Acienetobacter-Moraxella (12%), E. coli (9%) and a miscellaneous group in lower frequencies. The Gram negatives constituted 67%, of which most were Enterobacteriaceae . It is suggested that a proportion of both the Gram positive and negative isolates represent contaminants at blood sampling. Of 11 antibiotics tested, only gentamicin, polymyxin B and cotrimoxazole were effective against the majority of Gram negative isolates. Over 85% of S. aureus strains were sensitive to 8 of 11 antibiotics. High rates of multiple antibiotic resistance were detected for most types of bacterial isolates. The findings have been discussed with respect to their usefulness for rational prophylactic or therapeutic antibiotic use in this hospital.