ExPEC grows readily on standard media under either aerobic or anaerobic conditions. More than 90% of strains ferment lactose and are indole positive.
Treatment: Extraintestinal Infections Caused by E. Coli - Rates of resistance to ampicillin, first-generation cephalosporins, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), and fluoroquinolones are increasing. ESBLs are increasingly common in E. coli.
- Carbapenems and amikacin are the most predictably active agents overall, but carbapenemase-producing strains are on the rise.
- It is important to use the most appropriate narrower-spectrum agent whenever possible and to avoid treating colonized but uninfected pts, thus combating the increase in antibiotic resistance.
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