Superbugs causing ventilator associated pneumonia in a tertiary care hospital and the return of pre‑antibiotic era.

The rise in super bugs causing Ventilator‑Associated Pneumonia (VAP) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity despite recent advances in management owing to the looming ‘antibiotic apocalypse’. The aetiology and susceptibility pattern of the VAP isolates varies with patient population, type of intensive care unit (ICU) and is an urgent diagnostic challenge. The present study carried out for a period of one year in a tertiary care hospital, enrolled patients on mechanical ventilation (MV) for ≥48 hrs. Endotracheal aspirates (ETA) from suspected VAP patients were processed by semi quantitative method. Staphylococus aureus, members of Enterobacteriaceae were more common in early onset VAP (EOVAP), while Nonfermenting Gram negative bacilli (NFGNB) were significantly associated with late onset VAP (LOVAP). Most of the isolates were multi drug resistant (MDR) super bugs. With limited treatment options left for this crisis situation like the pre‑antibiotic era; it is an alarm for rational antibiotic therapy usage and intensive education programs.

Bacilos gramnegativos no fermentadores en agua embotellada: susceptibilidad antimicrobiana y formación de biopelículas / Non fermenting Gram negative bacilli in bottled water: antimicrobial susceptibility and biofilms formation

El agua puede ser un vehículo para agentes patógenos y oportunistas portadores de multiresistencia y con capacidad de formar biopelículas (CFB). Se evaluó la presencia de indicadores microbiológicos y bacilos gramnegativos no fermentadores (BGNNF) en agua potable envasada y se estudió la susceptibilidad antimicrobiana y la CFB de los mismos. Se seleccionaron al azar 50 muestras de 250 mL obtenidos de envases de agua potable (20 L), provenientes de igual número de hogares. A cada muestra le fue realizado recuento de heterótrofos aerobios (vertido en placa), coliformes totales y termotolerantes (filtración por membrana), CFB (microplaca) y susceptibilidad antimicrobiana (Kirby-Bauer). El 92% y el 84% de las muestras presentaron coliformes totales y termotolerantes respectivamente, valores por encima de lo establecido en la Gaceta Oficial Venezolana N.° 36.395, mientras que el 86% presentó heterótrofos aerobios con cuentas >100 UFC/mL. El mayor porcentaje de BGNNF aislados pertenecía al complejo Acinetobacter baumannii/calcoaceticus (29,3%), seguido de Pseudomonas aeruginosa (17,4%), con moderada capacidad de formar biopelículas. No hubo asociación significativa entre la resistencia antimicrobiana y la CFB (p>0,05). Un porcentaje elevado de las muestras, no se ajustó a los parámetros microbiológicos establecidos en Gaceta, por lo que no se garantiza la inocuidad de las mismas.

Water can be a vehicle for multiresistant carrier pathogenic and opportunist agents with biofilm forming capacity (BFC). The presence of microbiological indicators and non fermenting Gram negative bacilli (NFGNB) was evaluated in bottled drinking water, as well as their antimicrobial susceptibility and BFC. Fifty 250 mL drinking water samples were randomly selected from 20 L drinking water bottles from the same number of homes. Each sample was tested for aerobic heterothrophics (discharged in a plate) counts, total and thermo tolerant coliforms (membrane filtration), BFC (microplate) and antimicrobial susceptibility (Kirby-Bauer). The results showed that 92% and 84% of the samples carried total and thermo tolerant coliforms respectively, values above those established in the Venezuelan Official Gazette N.o 36,395, while 86% presented aerobic heterothrophics with counts >100 CFU/mL. The highest percentage of isolated NFGNBs belonged to the Acinetobacter baumannii/calcoaceticus complex (29.3%), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (17.4%) which has a moderate biofilm formation capacity. There was no significant association between antimicrobial resistance and the BFC (p>0.05). A high percentage of the samples were not adjusted to the biological parameters established in the Official Government Gazette; therefore, it is not possible to guarantee their safety.

Prevalência de bacilos Gram-negativos não fermentadores de pacientes internados em Porto Alegre-RS / Prevalence of non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli among inpatients from Porto Alegre-RS

INTRODUÇÃO: Os bacilos Gram-negativos não fermentadores (BGNNF) são frequentemente associados às infecções hospitalares. Além da alta incidência, esses microrganismos possuem resistência a diversos antimicrobianos. OBJETIVO: Analisar a prevalência e o perfil de resistência de BGNNF. MÉTODOS: Foram analisados 14.971 laudos de pacientes em um hospital privado de Porto Alegre-RS, no período de maio de 2006 a março de 2008, sem distinção de sexo e idade. RESULTADOS E CONCLUSÃO: Foram isoladas 326 amostras de BGNNF. As espécies mais prevalentes foram: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (65,03 por cento), Acinetobacter baumannii (16,56 por cento) e Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (9,5 por cento). Outras espécies apresentaram índices inferiores a 5 por cento. Os microrganismos foram isolados de diversos sítios infecciosos. Os materiais biológicos que apresentaram maior positividade para esses microrganismos foram o aspirado traqueal (38,34 por cento), o escarro (18,71 por cento) e a urina (15,95 por cento). A resistência bacteriana mostrou-se mais expressiva a tetraciclinas (89,57 por cento) e sulfametoxazol/trimetoprima (79,75 por cento). Os antimicrobianos mais ativos foram polimixina B, com 100 por cento de sensibilidade, e piperaciclina/tazobactam, com 75,2 por cento de sensibilidade.

INTRODUCTION: The non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli (NFGNB) have been widely associated with nosocomial infections. Not only are these microorganisms highly prevalent but they are also highly resistant to NFGNB. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence and resistance profile of non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli. METHODS: 14.971 patient reports from a private hospital in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, from May/2006 to March/2008 were analyzed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Three hundred twenty-six samples of non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli were isolated. The most prevalent species were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (65.03 percent), Acinetobacter baumannii (16.56 percent), and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (9.5 percent). Other species showed rates lower than 5 percent. The microorganisms were isolated from several infectious sites and the biological materials that showed higher positivity were the following: tracheal aspirate (38.34 percent), spittle (18.71 percent) and urine (15.95 percent). Bacterial resistance was higher with tetracyclines (89.57 percent) and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (79.75 percent). The most active antimicrobials were polymyxin B and piperacillin/tazobactam with 100 percent and 75.2 percent sensibility, respectively.

Criterios de ensayo, interpretación e informe de las pruebas de sensibilidad a los antibióticos en los bacilos gram negativos no fermentadores de importancia clínica: recomendaciones de la Subcomisión de Antimicrobianos de la Sociedad Argentina de Bacteriología, Micología y Parasitología Clínicas, Asociación Argentina de Microbiología / Antimicrobial susceptibility testing in clinically relevant non-fermenting gram-negative bacilli: recommendations from the Antimicrobial Agents Subcommittee of the Sociedad Argentina de Bacteriología, Micología y Parasitología Clínicas, Asociación Argentina de Microbiología

En este documento se dan a conocer una serie de recomendaciones para el ensayo, la lectura, la interpretación y el informe de las pruebas de sensibilidad a los antimicrobianos para los bacilos gram negativos no fermentadores (BGNNF) que se aíslan en humanos. Se adoptaron como base las recomendaciones internacionales, las de la Subcomisión de Antimicrobianos de la Sociedad Argentina de Bacteriología, Micología y Parasitología Clínicas y las de un grupo de expertos invitados. Se incluye, además, la nomenclatura actualizada de los BGNNF y la descripción de algunas de sus características individuales, de sus resistencias naturales o habituales a los antimicrobianos de uso clínico y de los mecanismos responsables de tales resistencias. También se indican los agentes antimicrobianos que se deberían ensayar frente a las distintas especies, con la especificación de cuáles deberían ser informados, y su ubicación estratégica en las placas de cultivo para poder detectar los mecanismos de resistencia más frecuentes y relevantes. Por último, se detallan los métodos de detección y de confirmación fenotípica de la presencia de b-lactamasas emergentes en Argentina, como las carbapenemasas clases A y B.

This document contains the recommendations for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the clinically relevant non-fermenting gram-negative bacilli (NFGNB), adopted after conforming those from international committees to the experience of the Antimicrobial Agents Subcommittee members and invited experts. This document includes an update on NFGNB classification and description, as well as some specific descriptions regarding natural or frequent antimicrobial resistance and a brief account of associated resistance mechanisms. These recommendations not only suggest the antimicrobial drugs to be evaluated in each case, but also provide an optimization of the disk diffusion layout and a selection of results to be reported. Finally, this document also includes a summary of the different methodological approaches that may be used for detection and confirmation of emerging b-lactamases, such as class A and B carbapenemases.