Prevalence and Antibiotic Resistance Profile of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Hospital Sinks in South Western Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) has been identified as a major pathogen in man, causing both opportunistic and nosocomial infections. Pseudomonas is a ubiquitous organism often isolated from various surfaces, which have the ability to form biofilms, making it a unique organism of medical importance. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of P. aeruginosa isolated from hospital sinks and their antibiotic resistance profile. Methods: Swab samples were collected from hospital sinks in five health care institutions and inoculated unto Nutrient agar and sub cultured on cetrimide agar. Isolated P. aeruginosa were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing using CSLI guidelines. Results: Prevalence of Pseudomonas species isolated from the hospitals’ sinks was 56%. High level resistance was recorded against amoxicillin/clavunalate, ampicillin and ceftriaxone. Resistance profile of the isolates clustered into two main clades clade A and clade B, with clade A isolates recording a higher MARI score. Conclusion: Isolation of multi-resistant P. aeruginosa from hospital sinks calls for improved hospital infection control practices. We advocate for inclusion of environmental surveillance, particularly of opportunistic pathogens in our hospitals.