Reduced susceptibility to chlorhexidine disinfectant among New Delhi metallo‑beta‑lactamase‑1 positive Enterobacteriaceae and other multidrug‑resistant organisms: Report from a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan.

ABSTRACT

We analysed susceptibility of multidrug‑resistant organisms (MDROs) including New Delhi metallo‑beta‑lactamase‑1 positive Enterobacteriaceae to chlorhexidine and compared results to their susceptible counterparts. Susceptibilities of chlorhexidine digluconate in a standard (CHX‑S) preparation and two commercial disinfectants containing different CHX concentrations (2% w/v and 4% w/w) were performed. MDROs had narrower range of higher CHX‑S minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) as compared to pan‑sensitive organisms. The MIC values for commercial disinfectants products for MDROs were many folds higher (20–600 times), than CHX‑S for in vitro use. Increasing antibiotic resistance among bacterial isolates can be an indirect marker of reduced susceptibility to chlorhexidine in hospital setting.