Susceptibility of ceftazidime for Burkholderia pseudomallei in patients at Sapprasithiprasong Hospital

Abstract

Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis, a disease that can involve acute septicemia and chronic infection. Ceftazidime is the most popular choice of therapy for the eradication of B. pseudomallei. The aim of this study was to test the antimicrobial activity of ceftazidime applied to B. pseudomallei by standard disc diffusion and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). A total of 78 isolates of B. pseudomallei from patients admitted to Sapprasithiprasong Hospital between November 2010 to May 2011 were included in this study.  Medical records of the patients were reviewed. It was shown that B. pseudomallei was susceptible to ceftazidime by standard disc diffusion with MICs of < 1 – 2 µg/ml. However, only 30.3 % of the patients receiving ceftazidime were recovered.