Objective Detection of the enterococcal species that caused infections in the paediatric ward of the Emergency Clinical Hospital in Constanta county and their sensitivity to antibiotics, as past years have witnessed increasing interest in enterococci that have become recognised as an important cause of nosocomial bacteraemia, surgical wound infection and urinary tract infection.

Materials and Methods Pathological specimens were represented by blood, urine, pus and other sources. Enterococcal strains were isolated and identified by growth in esculine agar and API 20 strep (Bio-Merieux) tests; the antibiotic sensitivities were investigated by the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method according to National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards criteria.

Results During the study period (January 2005 to January 2008) a total of 86 strains was isolated, from which 63 (73.25%) were identified as Enterococcus faecalis and 23 (26.75%) as Enterococcus faecium. Their sensitivity was tested to ampicillin, ampicillin/sulbactam, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, penicillin G, clindamycin, gentamycin, vancomycin, teicoplanin. All isolates of E faecalis were sensitive to glycopeptides (vancomycin and teicoplanin), whereas three out of 23 (13%) E faecium were resistant to vancomycin and teicoplanin, expressing a van A phenotype. High-level resistance to gentamycin expressed for 15% for E faecalis and 22% for E faecium.

Conclusions The emergence of entorococci as significant aetiological factors for infections is a matter of concern as they are genetically resistant to a number of antimicrobial agents. Detection of antimicrobial susceptibility is required for effective treatment of enterococcal infection.