Abstract
The aim of this descriptive study was to determine the prevalence of Klebsiella pneumoniae from different clinical specimens, their antibiotic susceptibility pattern and the extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production among such isolates at Armed Forces Hospital, Al-Kharaj, Saudi Arabia, from November, 2004 to October, 2007. A total of 328 isolates of K. pneumoniae recovered from 8152 different specimens were studied for ESBL production and antimicrobial susceptibility. The prevalence of K. pneumoniae was 4% (328/8152). We observed a high percentage of K. pneumoniae resistant to ampicillin (100%) and tetracycline (92%). The prevalence of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae was found to be 10.4% (34/328). The ESBL-producing strains were mostly from aspirates (25%) followed by sputum (20%) and blood (18.2%). These ESBLproducing isolates were highly resistant to gentamicin and ciprofloxacin. All isolates were susceptible to imipenem. Our findings demonstrate a high percentage of ESBL-producers among clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae and a high rate of multidrug resistance. Continued infection control measures and prudent use of antimicrobial agents are essential in reducing the spread of multi-resistant ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae.