Multidrug resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa as known from surveillance of nosocomial and community infections in an Indian teaching hospital

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the present study was to record nosocomial and community-acquired accounts of antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, isolated from clinical samples of a hospital by surveillance, over a period of 18 months (November 2009-April 2011). Subject and Methods: Clinical samples from nosocomial sources, i.e. wards and cabins and intensive care unit (ICU) and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) sources, and community (outpatient department, OPD) sources of a hospital were used for isolating strains of P. aeruginosa. Results Of 368 isolated strains of P. aeruginosa, a total of 201 (54.62%) strains were from nosocomial and 167 (45.38%) strains were from community samples. There were 42 (25.14%) extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESβL) strains among the 167 isolates from the community samples. And from wards and cabins, there were 29 (23%) ESβL strains among the 126 isolates. Of the 75 isolates from ICU and NICU, there were 25 (33.33%) ESβL strains; the total of nosocomial ESβL strains was 54 (26.86%) in this study from the total of 201 P. aeruginosa isolates. In a computation of the χ 2test of independence for assessing incidences of ESβL strains among all multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains, it was inferred that ESβL strains were equally distributed in wards and cabins, ICU and NICU or community, similar to the rest of the other MDR P. aeruginosa strains. Fifteen antibiotics were used for assessing antibiotic sensitivity of all isolated P. aeruginosa strains and a progressive increase of percent values of drug resistance was recorded. Conclusion: This study on surveillance of a hospital revealed the daunting state of occurrence of MDR P. aeruginosa. A progressive increase of percent values of drug resistance to 15 antibiotics used for antibiotic sensitivity of P. aeruginosa strains was recorded. © Springer-Verlag 2012.