• Ilkay Karaoglan, Yasemin Zer, Vuslat Kecik Bosnak, Ayse Ozlem Mete, and Mustafa Namiduru.
• Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey.
• J. Int. Med. Res. 2013 Dec 1;41(6):1830-7.

ObjectiveNosocomial infection caused by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii is a worldwide problem and treatment options remain controversial. This study investigated the in vitro effect of various antibiotic combinations against carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii strains.MethodsAntibiotic susceptibility of A. baumannii strains was analysed. In vitro synergistic efficacy of colistin combined with tigecycline, cefoperazone/sulbactam or piperacillin/tazobactam was tested against carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii strains. Synergy studies were performed using an eplisometer test-strip method.ResultsOf the 50 carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii strains tested, 96% were susceptible to colistin and 64% were susceptible to tigecycline. Colistin-tigecycline, colistin-cefoperazone/sulbactam and colistin-piperacillin/tazobactam combinations were found to have synergistic effects against six (12%), two (4%), and one (2%), respectively, of the strains tested.ConclusionsColistin combined with tigecycline, cefoperazone/sulbactam or piperacillin/tazobactam revealed synergistic effects in some carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii strains. These results, together with the shortage of treatment options and the risk of developing resistance to colistin, suggest that clinicians should use colistin combined with other antibiotics or β-lactamase inhibitors when treating carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii infection.

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