Isolation of carbapenem resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) strains from patients and equipments of Intensive care units (ICUs) at Qazvin between 2005-2006.

Acinetobacter spp. are gram negative aerobic bacteria that grow easily on routine bacterial culture media. The carbapenem resistant Acinetobacter baumannii was firstly recognized as causative of nosocomial infection outbreak in 1991 and reported from different countries sine then. We designed this study to determine the prevalence of carbapenem resistant isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii from patients and equipments at intensive care units (ICUs) of Qazvin niversity hospitals. During November 2005 to October 2006, 400 samples were collected from patients and equipments of ICUs of University hospitals in Qazvin. The specimens were cultured on MacConkey agar and isolated bacteria were identified using conventional bacteriological methods. Carbapenem resistant isolates were detected using disk containing imipenem in Kerby Bauer method. Of 400 samples cultured from ICUs, 15 (3.15%) yielded A. baumannii. A total of 4 isolates (26.6%) were resistant to imipenem (CRAB). Acinetobacter baumannii can be isolated from patients and equipments in ICUs of Qazvin University hospitals. The rate of carbapenem resistance is high among isolated strains.