Surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates from a central hospital in Portugal

Sir, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the leading causes of nosocomial infections. Initiation of antimicrobial therapy is often empirical; therefore, it is important to know the susceptibility profile of pathogens in order to select the most appropriate antibiotic. This underscores the importance of using current surveillance data in order to develop rational empirical antimicrobial therapy recommendations.1 The aim of this study was to carry out surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility of P. aeruginosa clinical isolates in Centro Hospitalar de Coimbra (CHC) to ascertain resistance patterns in order to assist in the determination of guidelines for empirical regimens and prompt enforcement of infection control measures. CHC is a 600 bed, central hospital comprising a general, maternity and paediatric hospital, situated in the centre of Portugal, a highly populated region. The collection period was from April 2003 to April 2006, and only one isolate per patient was included. Isolates were from inpatients with community-acquired infections (n = 414) or nosocomial infections (n = 685).