Prevalence of multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in burn patients at a tertiary care centre

Abstract

Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important cause of hospital acquired infection especially in patients admitted in critical care units such as intensive care units and burn care units. Because of its considerable potential to become resistant to important anti-pseudomonal agents, infection of burn wounds by P. aeruginosa, especially by multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains has become a major problem. Aim: This study was carried with an aim to determine the antimicrobial resistance pattern and prevalence of MDR P. aeruginosa infection among burns patients at a tertiary care center. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out from June 2013 to July 2014 in microbiology laboratory of a tertiary care center. In this study, 102 nonrepetitive clinical samples from patients admitted in burn unit were collected and the isolates were identified by conventional phenotypic methods. The antibiotic sensitivity testing of all P. aeruginosa isolates was done using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method and the results were interpreted according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. Results: Out of 102 clinical samples, P. aeruginosa was isolated from 56 (54.9%) samples. Out of these 56 isolates, 43 (76.8%) isolates were MDR. Majority of the isolates were resistant to amikacin (73.2%), gentamicin (84%), tobramycin (75%), ceftazidime (76.79%), ciprofloxacin (71.4%), cefepime (64.6%), piperacillin (80.36%) and imipenem (61%). Conclusion: The prevalence of P. aeruginosa infection in patients admitted in burns unit was found to be 54.9%. This study showed an increased prevalence (76.8%) of MDR P. aeruginosa infection in burn patients.