J Clin Pathol Qual Control.  1998 Dec;20(2):349-355.

The Comparison between Hemolysis and Antibiograms of Enterococcus faecalis

• Yong D
• Uh Y
• Hwang GY
• Jang IH
• Yoon KJ

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Enterococci ia a normal flora of human, a well-recognized cause of urinary tract infection and endocarditis. In recent years, there has been a increasing tendency of enterococci isolation. We performed this study to determine the relationship between hemolysis and antimicrobial resistance, between hemolysis and isolated specimen type, so tried to predict the virulence of Enterococcus faecalis, indirectly.
METHODS
We examine the isolation sources, antibiograms and biochemical reactions of the 222 isolates of enterococci during the period from June to August 1998 in Wonju Christian Hospital.
RESULTS
Of the 222 enterococci, 79 (35%) were from wounds, 74 (33%) from urine. 152 (68%) isolates were E. faecalis, 50 (23%) E. Faecium, and 91% of enterococci isolated were composed with these two species. The identification rate by eight conventional biochemical tests was 96.4%. The isolation rate of E. faecalis with hemolysis according to specimen type in decreasing order were urine (53%), catheter (50%), other specimens (16%), wound (11%), and blood (9%). The resistance rate of enterococci of vancomycin, ampicillin, high level gentamicin, tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin were 5, 23, 64, 77, and 47%, respectively. There were no reliable correlations between antimicrobial resistant rate, biochemical reaction and hemolysis pattern among enterococci.
CONCLUSIONS
In our study, hemolysis of E.faecalis doesn't seem to have a relationship with virulence in accordance with isolated specimen type. We couldn't find a statistical of enterococci. Further study will be needed for predicting the multidrug resistance, or virulence of E. faecalis., since other antimicrobials and virulence predicting factors were not tested in this study.

MeSH Terms

Ampicillin
Catheters
Ciprofloxacin
Drug Resistance, Multiple
Endocarditis
Enterococcus faecalis*
Enterococcus*
Gangwon-do
Gentamicins
Hemolysis*
Humans
Microbial Sensitivity Tests*
Tetracycline
Urinary Tract Infections
Vancomycin
Virulence
Wounds and Injuries
Ampicillin
Ciprofloxacin
Gentamicins
Tetracycline
Vancomycin