Ampicillin Usage and Ampicillin Resistant (Ampr) Plasmids Mediated Escherichia Coli Isolated from Diarrheagenic Patients Attending Some Teaching Hospital in Nigeria

From 2001 to 2004, we carry on a survey on the utilization of ampicillin among some diarrheagenic patients attending some teaching hospitals in nigeria. from the result 723(58.2%) volunteers responded to the questionnaires, where only 83(11.4%) consult a doctor for prescription, 397(54.9%) from drug retailers while 142(20.1%) self prescribe and 56(7.7%) prescription was base on the advice of friends and relatives. the results also indicate that 229 (31.7%) take full regimen if prescribed by a doctor and 494(68.3%) stop the consumption of the drug when the signs and symptoms subside. of the 249 diarrheagenic clinical isolates of e coli strains obtained from 2001 to 2004, 78 (31.3%) were obtained from ubth, 41(16.5%) from abuth, 38(15.3%) from nauth and 92(36.9%) from uch with a mean average of 63(25.3%). among the antibiotics tested, ampicillin was the least susceptible antibiotics while the quinolones were the most susceptible. most of the e coli strains screened had one or more resistant r plasmids. 52% of the e coli harbour ampicillin resistant plasmids of different molecular weights that ranged from .0.451kbp to .1.254kbp. mostly chromosomal dna mediated most of the e coli isolates resistant to tetracycline, erythromycin, and ciprofloxacin. none of the teaching hospital had a surveillance method for evaluating the emergence of resistance pathogens.