Abstract
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) have been increasing during recent decades, leading to long hospital stays and high morbidity and mortality rates. The usage of antibiotics therapy against these infections is enhancing the emergence of more multiple-drug resistant strains, in particular in Staphylococcus epidermidis. Hence, this study focused on the resistance pattern of S. epidermidis isolates from clinical settings and its association with phenotypic and molecular traits. Our results showed that HAIs were more prevalent among infants and older adults, and the most frequent type of HAI was central line-associated bloodstream infection. Half of the patients received antibiotic therapy before laboratory diagnosis. Preceding microbiological diagnosis, the number of patients receiving antibiotic therapy increased by 29.1%. Eighty-six per cent of the clinical isolates presented a multidrug resistance (MDR) profile, and a quarter were strong biofilm producers. Furthermore, polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA)-dependent biofilms presented higher biomass production (p = 0.0041) and a higher rate of antibiotic non-susceptibility than PIA-independent biofilms, emphasizing the role of icaABDC operon in infection severity. Therefore, this study suggests that a thorough understanding of the phenotypic and molecular traits of the bacterial cause of the HAIs may lead to a more suitable selection of antibiotic therapy, improving guidance and outcome assessment.
Highlights
As part of the human skin microbiota, the coagulase-negative Staphylococcus epidermidis is considered an opportunistic pathogen responsible for many healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), mainly those related to indwelling medical devices [1]
Over 30 months, 86 clinical isolates of S. epidermidis were collected from patients with a diagnosis of device-related infection and treated in a tertiary-care hospital in Portugal’s second major city (Porto)
Regarding the type of HAIs, central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABIs) were by far the most frequently reported during the period under study, accounting for 60.5% (n = 52) of all clinical infections, while catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) and respiratory tract infections respectively accounted for 18.6% (n = 16) and 12.8% (n = 11)
Summary
As part of the human skin microbiota, the coagulase-negative Staphylococcus epidermidis is considered an opportunistic pathogen responsible for many healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), mainly those related to indwelling medical devices [1]. The last Portuguese national surveillance report on healthcare infections revealed an overall prevalence of 7.8% [3], with respiratory and bloodstream infections by coagulase-negative staphylococci, mainly S. epidermidis, being the most common occurrence [3,4]. Methicillin/oxacillin resistance which is encoded by the mecA gene has been reported to range from 75% to 90% in many hospitals [8,9,10]. A study concerning S. epidermidis isolates and conducted in 2012 in a single-center Portuguese hospital
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 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.
