Abstract
According to the WHO, P. aeruginosa is one of the antibiotic-resistant bacteria that represent the biggest threat to public health. The aim of the study was to establish the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant P. aeruginosa in the water systems of various healthcare facilities over the course of nine years. A total of 4500 tap water system samples were taken from seventeen healthcare facilities. The culture method was used to detect P. aeruginosa, and the isolates were then tested for antibiotic resistance using the standardised disc diffusion method. Eleven antibiotics from five different classes were tested. P. aeruginosa was found to have contaminated 2.07% (no. 93) of the water samples. The majority of positive samples came from the dental units (30.11%) and the ward kitchens (23.66%). Considering the total isolates, 56.99% (no. 3) were resistant to at least one of the antibiotics tested. A total of 71.43% of P. aeruginosa isolated from water emerging from dental unit handpieces was antibiotic-resistant, with 45% of it resistant to ≥3 classes of antibiotics. Out of the total isolates, 19.35% showed resistance to carbapenems. It would be advisable to systematically screen tap water for opportunistic micro-organisms such as P. aeruginosa, as many countries already do, including this in the Water Safety Plan.
Highlights
Healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs), in the critical care setting, have become increasingly common over recent decades, with Gram-negative bacterial infections presenting the highest incidence among them [1]
Out of the 4500 water samples taken in various healthcare facilities, 2.07%
Only 0.40% of inlet water samples were found to be contaminated with P. aeruginosa
Summary
Healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs), in the critical care setting, have become increasingly common over recent decades, with Gram-negative bacterial infections presenting the highest incidence among them [1]. P. aeruginosa is one of the most frequent and serious causes of HAIs (e.g., respiratory and urinary tract, skin and soft tissues, ear and eye infections, and bacteriemia), which affect immunocompromised patients [2,3,4]. The emerging presence of P. aeruginosa multi-drug-resistant (MDR) isolates, resistant to almost all antimicrobials used for hospital patients, has attracted the attention of many researchers in recent decades [6]. P. aeruginosa presents multiple resistance mechanisms, either intrinsic or acquired, frequently with high resistance rates affecting several classes of antibiotics, including carbapenems [7,8]. Different potential environmental reservoirs of this micro-organism have been described in healthcare settings (aerosols, taps, basin and shower drains, respiratory equipment, humidifiers, endoscopes and endoscope washers, hydrotherapy pools, dental units, etc.) [11,14,15,16,17]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
