Loading...
A rapid rise in multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative pathogens has been observed worldwide. Such pathogens can be acquired under common circumstances — for example, during travel (JW Infect Dis Sep 29 2010) — and antibiotic therapy is assumed to be the selective pressure driving further spread of resistant clones. Fecal colonization may be a risk factor for subsequent clinically apparent infections. However, little is known about the prevalence of MDR pathogens in the fecal flora of patients admitted to the hospital.
To investigate this issue, researchers collected stool specimens from 303 patients who were hospitalized in France with acute diarrhea during a nonoutbreak situation in the fall of 2009. The specimens were screened for gram-n…