Abstract
BackgroundPseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacteria responsible for infections in immunocompromised patients and is one of the most common causes of nosocomial infections particularly in intensive care and burn units. We aimed to investigate the population structure of P. aeruginosa strains isolated from patients at different hospital wards. Methods: We analysed the possible presence of P. aeruginosa epidemic or endemic strains in hospitals of the selected region. A genotyping analysis was performed for P. aeruginosa isolates (n = 202) collected from patients of eleven hospitals in north-western Poland. Collections of P. aeruginosa were genotyped using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Phenotypic screening for antibiotic susceptibility was performed for the common antimicrobial agents.ResultsPseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were distributed among 116 different pulsotype groups. We identified 30 groups of clonally related strains, each containing from 2 to 17 isolates and typed the obtained 13 unique patterns, designated as A, D, E, J, K, M, N, Ó, P, T, X, AC, AD, and AH. The two largest clusters, D and E, contained 17 and 13 isolates, respectively. Strains of these groups were continuously isolated from patients at intensive care units and burn units, indicating transmission of these strains.ConclusionsIn this study, we demonstrate the clonal relatedness of P. aeruginosa strains and their constant exchange in hospitals over a period of 15 months. The obtained results indicate a predominantly non-clonal structure of P. aeruginosa.
Highlights
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacteria responsible for infections in immunocompromised patients and is one of the most common causes of nosocomial infections in intensive care and burn units
Population of P. aeruginosa strains A clonal analysis of P. aeruginosa strains was carried out for 202 strains isolated from 11 different hospitals located in north-western Poland
Most of the isolates of cluster D were resistant to carbapenems (14/17), aminoglycosides (12/17), and other antimicrobials tested except piperacillin with tazobactam and colistin
Summary
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacteria responsible for infections in immunocompromised patients and is one of the most common causes of nosocomial infections in intensive care and burn units. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen that causes nosocomial infections for patients with pre-existing lung disease, including cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or patients on mechanical ventilation in the intensive care (ICUs). ICU patients are at risk of P. aeruginosa infections due to the length of their stay in the medical ward, the severity of their illness and exposure to invasive medical procedures. According to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), P. aeruginosa is the most common cause of respiratory pneumonia and the third most frequent agent causing urinary tract infections at European ICUs [9]. Among the distinguished causes of P. aeruginosa infections, the authors highlight the main role of inappropriate disinfection rather than resistance to the disinfectant used [10, 11]
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