[Hospital infection and resistance to antibiotics at a pediatric intensive care unit]

Area of Science:

• Pediatric critical care medicine
• Infectious diseases
• Microbiology

Context:

• Nosocomial infections pose a significant threat in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs).
• Understanding etiological agents and their antimicrobial sensitivity is crucial for effective treatment.
• This study spans a 65-month period, providing a substantial dataset for analysis.

Purpose:

• To investigate the patterns of nosocomial infections in a pediatric ICU.
• To identify the primary etiological agents responsible for these infections.
• To assess the antimicrobial sensitivity of these agents over time and in relation to patient demographics and procedures.

Summary:

• A retrospective analysis identified associations between infection sites and diagnostic-therapeutic procedures (e.g., urinary tract infections with urinary catheters, lower respiratory tract infections with respiratory support devices, bacteremia with intravenous catheters).
• Age was significantly correlated with causative agents: Streptococcus faecalis predominated in newborns, while Pseudomonas aeruginosa was more common in older children.
• Antimicrobial sensitivity patterns showed increased efficacy of certain drugs (carbenicillin, cefotaxime, gentamicin, fosfomycin, tobramycin) against Gram-negative bacilli, but decreased sensitivity of Gram-positive microorganisms to others (cephalothin, cefoxitin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, gentamicin).

Impact:

• Provides critical data for optimizing antibiotic stewardship in pediatric ICUs.
• Informs clinical decision-making regarding infection prevention and treatment strategies.
• Highlights the dynamic nature of antimicrobial resistance, necessitating ongoing surveillance.