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Long Term Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa Airway Infection in Mice
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Long Term Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa Airway Infection in Mice

Published on: March 17, 2014

Presence of polyclonal Pseudomonas aeruginosa in an intensive care unit: a 27-month prospective study on molecular

P Cortés1, D Mariscal, J Vallés

  • 1Department of Microbiology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
|February 15, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common hospital pathogen, was found in over 22% of intensive care unit environmental samples. Taps served as a persistent reservoir, highlighting the need for diverse surveillance methods to detect this adaptable bacterium.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Microbiology
  • Infection Prevention and Control
  • Environmental Hygiene in Healthcare Settings

Background:

  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen frequently associated with healthcare-associated infections.
  • The intensive care unit (ICU) environment can harbor various microorganisms, posing risks to vulnerable patients.
  • Understanding the environmental reservoirs and genetic diversity of P. aeruginosa is crucial for effective infection control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence and genetic diversity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in ICU environmental cultures.
  • To identify potential stable reservoirs for P. aeruginosa within the ICU environment.
  • To assess the clonal structure of P. aeruginosa isolates and inform surveillance strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Environmental surface cultures were collected from 305 sites within an ICU.
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were identified using standard microbiological techniques.
  • Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was employed to determine the genetic relatedness (pulsotypes) of the isolates.
  • Colony morphotypes of P. aeruginosa were also analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa was detected in 22.2% of the environmental cultures.
  • A high degree of genetic heterogeneity was observed, with 18 distinct pulsotypes identified.
  • Taps and associated surfaces were identified as a stable reservoir for specific P. aeruginosa pulsotypes.
  • Polyclonal infections, accounting for 15.4% of P. aeruginosa-positive cultures, were observed.

Conclusions:

  • The ICU environment, particularly taps, can act as a persistent reservoir for genetically diverse Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
  • The presence of polyclonal P. aeruginosa indicates complex transmission dynamics.
  • Surveillance studies should consider analyzing different colony morphotypes to comprehensively detect P. aeruginosa.

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