Abstract

A total of one hundred and forty two swab samples (92 clinical and 50 from hospital environment) were collected for the detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Out of the total samples, 29 isolates of P. aeruginosa were isolated and recorded an overall prevalence rate of 20.42% (29/242) of which 18 (19.56%) were from wounds and burns swabs of patients, and 11 (22%) were from hospital environment. The highest rate of P. aeruginosa (60%) identified from hospital environmental specimens were from door handles followed by ward sinks (57.15%) and the least (10.53%) from patients’ beds and table tops. According to gender and age group, the study showed the highest rate of P. aeruginosa in the male (55.6%), and in young patients (38.9%) between the ages of 5 and 25 years compared to the elderly; while the lowest rate 27.8% were from those age 45 years and above. Results showed that all isolates from patients and hospital environment were resistant to ticarcillin and ceftazidime (100%). Also, P. aeruginosa from patients demonstrated high resistance to cefepime, ofloxacin, gentamycin, tobramycin, ciprofloxacin, lomefloxacin, norfloxacin, levofloxacin and amikacin in the following order respectively :88.8, 77.7, 61.1, 50.0, 44.4, 44.4, 38.8, 38.8 and 33.3%; whereas showed low resistance (16.6 and 11.1%) to each of ticarcillin/clavulanate and meropenem, and only 5.5% to imepenem. Generally, this study pointed that P. aeruginosa isolates from hospital environment were more resistant to particular antibiotics than that of clinical isolates. It was also revealed that P. aeruginosa have high sensitivity to imepenem, meropenem and ticarcillin /clavulanate and these should be considered in the treatment of this bacterium. 

Key words: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, antibiotic resistance, clinical samples, surgical wards, hospital environment.