Susceptibility testing of unconventional antibiotics against multiresistant Acinetobacter spp. by agar dilution and Vitek 2

Treatment options are increasingly limited for carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. This study set out to determine the in vitro susceptibility of multiresistant Acinetobacter spp. to colistin, minocycline, and rifampicin using agar dilution, and to compare the accuracy of testing results obtained from an automated susceptibility testing system (Vitek 2). MICs for colistin, minocycline, and rifampicin were obtained by agar dilution and Vitek 2 for 44 unrelated strains of multiresistant Acinetobacter spp. All tested strains were susceptible to colistin, whereas 61% were susceptible to minocycline and 52% were susceptible to rifampicin. Results for colistin testing showed categoric agreement between Vitek 2 and agar dilution, with no false-resistance reported by Vitek 2. However, there was a poor agreement for minocycline and rifampicin when results obtained from Vitek 2 testing were compared with those obtained by agar dilution.