Hospital Superbug Develops Armor Against Antibiotics, Study Reveals
Researchers in Ethiopia found that a common hospital pathogen is rapidly evolving defensive biofilm shells that shield it from multiple antibiotics simultaneously. The discovery signals a growing threat to infection control in healthcare facilities and suggests hospitals need new treatment strategies beyond current drug options.
Originaltitel: Antimicrobial resistance profile, biofilm forming capacity and associated factors of multidrug resistance in <em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</em> among patients admitted at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital and Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
<p>Background</p><p><em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</em> is one of the leading causes of nosocomial infections and the most common multidrug-resistant pathogen. This study aimed to determine antimicrobial resistance patterns, biofilm-forming capacity, and associated factors of multidrug resistance in <em>P. aeruginosa</em> isolates at two hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.</p><p>Methods</p><p>A cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2022 to August 2023 at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital and Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College. Culture and identification of <em>P. aeruginosa</em> were done using standard microbiological methods. An antimicrobial susceptibility test was done by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion according to CLSI recommendations. The microtiter plate assay method was used to determine biofilm-forming capacity. SPSS version 25 was used for data analysis. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression were used to assess factors associated with multidrug resistance in <em>P. aeruginosa</em>. The Spearman correlation coefficient (rs = 0.266)) was performed to evaluate the relationship between biofilm formation and drug resistance.</p><p>Results</p><p>The overall prevalence of <em>P. aeruginosa</em> was 19.6%. High levels of resistance were observed for ciprofloxacin (51.8%), ceftazidime (50.6%), and cefepime (48.2%). The level of multidrug-resistance was 56.6%. The isolates showed better susceptibility to ceftazidime-avibactam (95.2%) and imipenem (79.5%). Overall, 95.2% of <em>P. aeruginosa</em> were biofilm-producing isolates, and 27.7% and 39.8% of isolates were strong and moderate biofilm producers, respectively. A positive correlation and statistically significant relationship was observed between resistance to multiple drugs and the level of biofilm formation (rs = 0.266; p-value = 0.015). Previous history of exposure to ciprofloxacin (OR, 5.1; CI, 1.12–24.7, p-value, 0.032) was identified as an independent associated factor for multidrug resistance in <em>P. aeruginosa.</em></p><p>Conclusion</p><p>The present study indicates an association between multidrug resistance in <em>P. aeruginosa</em> and its biofilm formation capabilities. Additionally, over half of the isolates were resistant to multiple drugs, with prior use of ciprofloxacin linked to the development of multidrug-resistance. These findings suggest that antibiotic stewardship programs in hospital settings may be beneficial in addressing resistance.</p>