In vitro synergistic effect of colistin and ampicillin/sulbactam with several antibiotics against clinical strains of multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

Abstract Purpose Nowadays, Acinetobacter baumannii is resistant to almost all available antibiotics. The evaluation of synergistic effects between the antibiotics against this pathogen is among the efforts to counteract its antimicrobial resistance. This study aimed to evaluate possible synergistic effect of colistin and ampicillin/sulbactam (separately) with several antibiotics against clinical isolates of multi-drug resistant (MDR) A. baumannii. Methods Acinetobacter baumannii strains were isolated from biological samples of hospitalized patients with any type of nosocomial infection related to this pathogen. Only MDR strains (resistance to at least three classes of antibiotics including cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, and aminoglycosides) were included in the study. After determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of antibiotics against the isolates by broth microdilution test, the checkerboard method was used for evaluation of any possible synergistic effect of both colistin and ampicillin/sulbactam with several other antibiotics. Results Twenty isolates underwent synergy test for colistin and 20 isolates for ampicillin/sulbacatam. Doxycycline (55%), azithromycin (35%), and co-trimoxazole (35%) had the most frequency of synergistic effect with colistin. On the other hand, amikacin and gentamicin (55%), doxycycline (50%), co-trimoxazole (45%), azithromycin (40%), and cefepime (40%) had the most frequency of synergistic effect with ampicillin/sulbactam. No antagonistic effect was observed for both antibiotics. Conclusion Colistin and ampicillin/sulbactam have substantial synergistic effect with several antibiotics especially doxycycline, co-trimoxazole, azithromycin, and amikacin (with ampicillin/sulbactam) against MDR strains of Acinetobacter baumannii.