A total of 122 968 specimens were culture-positive from 1987 to 1993 in a general hospital in Hong Kong, with skin and soft tissue specimens being the most common. Gram negative organisms were most frequently isolated and of these, Escherichia coli was the most common organism. Approximately 60% of E coli isolates were resistant to ampicillin. Imipenem was the most active of the b-lactam antibiotics against coliforms and Acinetobacter spp. and ceftazidime was most active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Coliform resistance to gentamicin was high, at approximately 20%. The newer quinolones were quite active against the coliforms and P aeruginosa. Twenty-six per cent of Staphylococcus aureus were found to be resistant to methicillin. Resistance to ampicillin and chloramphenicol was high in Haemophilus influenzae isolates (27% and 13% respectively), and more penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae were found, increasing from nil in 1987 to 10% of S pneumoniae isolates in 1993.