Trends, patterns and relationship of antimicrobial use and resistance in bacterial isolates tested between 2015–2020 in a national referral hospital of Zambia

A study at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia, found that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among bacteria increased over time. The most common isolates were Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Only amikacin and imipenem showed good antimicrobial activity against both species. Multidrug resistance patterns were observed in 38.8% of E. coli and 52.4% of K. pneumoniae isolates. The study also found a weak positive relationship between the monthly use of third-generation cephalosporins and AMR.