Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is recognized to be the most difficult pathogen to control and treat in pediatric burn centers. We analyzed the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of A. baumannii in our pediatric burn intensive care unit during the past 7 years.

We retrospectively evaluated 56 patients (105 samples) under the age 15 years and who were infected with A. baumannii between January 1999 and December 2005.

Fot the 56 patients, the ratio of males to females was 1.15:1 and the median age was 48.3 months. The sites of 105 isolates were wounds (65%), sputum (20%), blood (6%), cutdown tips (5%), endo-tip tubes (2%) and urine (2%). A. baumannii presented year-round. The annual antimicrobial resistance rate increased and the multidrug resistant rate for two or more antibiotics was 93.33%. For 3 patients in whom resistance emerged, the interval period between the susceptible and resistant strains after antibiotic use was a mean of 10 days. The A. baumannii isolated from blood were all multi-drug resistant pathogens.

Multidrug resistance of A. baumannii is increasing. Strict infection control guidelines and active surveillance are needed for the prevention and treatment of A. baumannii in hospitals.