Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the healthcare facility setting

Abstract

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative pathogen that has become an important cause of infection in humans and can be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Severe infections usually affect immunocompromised patients or those with chronic debilitating diseases. Its significance as a pathogen is exacerbated by its resistance to antibiotics, virulence factors and its ability to adapt to a wide range of environments. P. aeruginosa can have multiple intrinsic or acquired mechanisms of resistance, frequently with high resistance rates to various antimicrobial classes. In recent years, the worldwide spread of the so-called ‘high-risk clones’ of multidrug-resistant or extensively drug-resistant P. aeruginosa has become a public health threat that needs to be studied and managed with urgency and determination. Among Gram-negative infections, P. aeruginosa is one of the most common Gram-negative bacteria causing nosocomial and healthcare-associated infections in hospitalised patients. According to WHO guidelines, measures to prevent the transmission of multiresistant P. aeruginosa in healthcare facilities should include at least hand hygiene (with the appropriate use of alcohol-based solutions), contact precautions, patient isolation (single room or cohort), environmental cleanliness and surveillance.