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Identification of multi-drug resistant genes in P. aeruginosa isolates from patients under mechanical ventilation and respiratory support in an intensive care unit


Xiaoli Yang
Hongping Yao
Chun Zhang
Cui Li
Congying He
Jinfang Sheng

Abstract

Purpose: To determine multi-drug resistant (MDR) and metallo β-lactamase (MBL)-resistant genes from Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from intensive care unit (ICU) patients under mechanical ventilation and respiratory support.

Methods: P. aeruginosa was isolated from 387 purulent tracheobronchial secretions collected from ICU patients who were intubated and mechanically ventilated for at least 48 h. Antibiotic resistance was determined by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay while MDR genes, viz, blaTEM, blaOXA, blaVIM, blaCTX-M-15 were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Results: A total of 144 (37.2 %) P. aeruginosa were isolated from the purulent tracheobronchial secretions. A majority of the isolates (51.4 %) were resistant to gentamicin. Meropenem-gentamicin was the predominant (35.4 %) resistant combination. Out of the 144 isolates, 102 (70.8 %) were positive for blaTEM gene, 51 (35.4 %) for were positive for blaOXA gene, 22 (15.3 %) were positive for blaVIM gene, while 19 (13.2 %) were positive for blaCTX-M gene.

Conclusion: The high prevalence of MDR P. aeruginosa indicates the need for continued monitoring of MDR P. aeruginosa especially in ICU patients who are under mechanical respiratory support.

Keywords: Multi-drug resistance genes, Mechanical ventilator, Respiratory support, Pseudomonas aeruginosa

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eISSN: 1596-9827
print ISSN: 1596-5996