In-vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing of bacteria causing diarrhea in children at Khartoum StateSudan

Abstract

Background: Diarrhea remains a major public health problem in developing countries. The current
study was design to assess the antimicrobial susceptibility testing of bacteria causing diarrhea in
children those antibiotics are recommended by Integrated Management-of Childhood illness (IMCI) .
Methods: A total number of 114 bacterial pathogens isolated from 432 children patients with diarrhea
attending Khartoum Pediatric Hospital and Omdurman Pediatric Hospital during the period of May 2005
to July 2007 were enrolled into the study. The antimicrobial activity against five commonly used
antibiotics: ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, co-trimoxazole, nalidixic acid and amoxicillin were performed
using Kirby-Bauer method. Results: Out of 114 isolates about 63% were susceptible to co-trimoxazole;
where as 71.4% and 80.4% of the isolates were susceptible to amoxicillin and nalidixic acid, respectively.
All (100%) of isolated pathogens were susceptible to ciprofloxacin where as the susceptibility of
gentamicin among all isolates were 96.4%. Among 61 Shigella spp. isolates only 49.2% were
susceptible to co-trimoxazole compared with 54.1% of Shigella spp isolates that were susceptible to
amoxicillin. 96.8% of Shigella isolates were susceptible to gentamicin. Conclusion: In vitro sensitivity
test of isolates showed that ciprofloxacin, and gentamicin were the most effective antibacterial drugs for
bloody diarrhoea compared to co-trimoxazole and amoxicillin