The control of hospital-acquired
infections is a matter of social concern, especially in the proper use of
antimicrobial agents. The fundamentals of treatment for
infectious diseases involve the exact identification of the responsible bacteria, and the minimum essential use of narrow-spectrum
antimicrobial agents for the identified bacteria. We tested the antimicrobial susceptibility of 13 species which belong to the gram-negative rod type and isolated 50 or more strains at Tottori University Hospital in 2001. We evaluated the susceptibility pattern for every species, and have proposed a plan for the sensible use of narrow-spectrum
antimicrobial agents. The resistant frequency in the present study was equal to or lower than previously reported. We think that it is possible to use narrow-spectrum
antimicrobial agents more often, because the susceptible frequency to these agents was fairly high for some species. It is not too much to say that the history of the development of
antimicrobial agents has been a road to broad-spectrum. Though the proper use of
antimicrobial agents seems to go against this view, we should remain farsighted. Not only is the publicity of proper use indispensable but excellent surveillance is also highly necessary. We hope for the establishment of a good surveillance system gifted with simplicity, universality, high reproduction and continuity.