Abstract:
P. aeruginosa is one of the most important pathogen that causes nosocomial infections often acquired from
hospital environment and contaminated medical devices. The infections caused by this bacterium are particularly problematic
because it is inherently resistant to several unrelated antimicrobial agents and antiseptics. Hence, the aim of this study was to
determine drug resistance and disinfectants susceptibility of P. aeruginosa isolated from clinical samples and hospital
environments. A laboratory based cross sectional study was conducted from May to September, 2012 on a total of 81 P.
aeruginosa isolates. A standard bacteriological technique (conventional biochemical tests and pigment production) was used to
identify the bacterium. Drug resistance and disinfectant susceptibility tests were determined by Kirby-Bauer disc-diffusion and
through the classic method of successive dilutions respectively. In this study a total of 305 (160 clinical and 145 environmental)
samples were investigated for P. aeruginosa and 81 isolates were obtained. This gives an overall P. aeruginosa isolation rate of
26.5% (81/305). About 47.5% of the clinical and 34.2% environmental isolates were detected from wounds and ward sinks
respectively. Of these P. aeruginosa isolates, 95.1% were resistance to Trimethoprim-sulphametoxazole, 62% to Gentamicin,
and 58% to Ceftriaxone. But, only 4.9% of isolates were resistance to Amikacin. Moreover, disinfectant susceptibility test
revealed that hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite had a higher (92.6% & 91.4%) bactericidal activity compared to
ethanol and savlon at the recommended user dilution. In general, our results indicated that P. aeruginosa was significantly
resistance to commonly prescribed antimicrobial drugs, a situation that demands a more rational and appropriate use of
antibiotics. Hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite were relatively more effective when used in recommended dilution.
However, all tested disinfectants or antiseptics showed reduced bactericidal activities in higher dilutions. Therefore, strict
adherence to the recommended dilution is important for better activity. The correct use of them also has to be considered
appropriately as part of infection control practices.
