Molecular Characterization of Isolated Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria from Tertiary Care Hospitals of Ahmedabad: A Comparison Study Between Previous to COVID-19 and Current Scenario

Abstract

Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) are a significant concern for healthcare setups, as it increases the overall cost of treatment, patients stay in hospitals, making them susceptible to secondary and tertiary infections and, sometimes, mortality1. To prevent or control HAIs, evaluating the organisms isolated from the critically maintained areas is considered of epitome importance and everlasting practice in the healthcare industry. Identifying such organisms and screening them for antibiotic resistance is mandatory, but it also helps professionals understand colonization trends. Sensitive areas of healthcare setups were screened monthly from years 2017 to 2020. A total of 4400 samples of hospital hygiene, e.g., intravenous drip stands, ventilator surface, anesthetist’s trolley, patient’s bed, instrument trolley, etcetera, were collected. Isolated organisms were cultured and screened using the CLSI technique. E. coli, Pseudomonas spp., and Klebsiella spp. were found in both previous to COVID current samples. Multidrug-resistant organisms were subjected to molecular characterization to detect the presence of carbapenem genes. Evaluation data of both pre-and during Coronavirus Disease or COVID-19 were compared. The prevalence of pathogenic (Klebsiella spp., E. coli, and Pseudomonas spp.) and non-pathogenic (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus spp.) strains in healthcare setups decreased drastically (Klebsiella spp. from 80% to 20%, E.coli from 90% to 10% and Pseudomonas spp. from 80% to 20%). It is possible only because of the awareness in non-specialists and healthcare workers due to the unforeseen critical situation proving to be a blessing for the future generation.