Audit of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a general hospital in Saudi Arabia.
All isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in our laboratory from hospitalised patients were collected over a 4-month period in 1993/94. Details of the patients including length of stay, transfer from another hospital, nationality, diagnosis and antibacterial treatment were noted. Each patient was assessed as to whether the first isolate during the study period was of clinical significance and whether the infection or colonization was nosocomially acquired. The isolates of P. aeruginosa were identified and sensitivity was determined by recognized methods. Isolates were serotyped. 108 different patients were included in the study (median age 50 years, 58% males). 57/77 (74%) isolates where information was noted were nosocomial acquired. Length of patient stay for the nosocomial acquired isolates ranged from less than 1 day to more than 1 year. 19% of patients were transfers from other hospitals. Clinical significance was graded 31% isolates were judged to be highly significant and 44% to have little or no clinical significance. 41% isolates were from superficial sites including wounds, 27% from respiratory sites, 23% from urine and 6% were from blood cultures. Heavy growth of P. aeruginosa was correlated with clinical significance. Coliforms were the other organisms most frequently isolated with the P. aeruginosa but highly significant isolates were usually in pure culture. Serotypes 11, 2 and 4 were the dominant isolates. Serotype 11 was also the most common environmental isolate from the hospital. 60% patients were receiving antibacterial agents when the sample was taken but only 12% patients were receiving potentially anti-pseudomonal agents.
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Department of Pathology, King Khalid National Guard Hospital, Jeddah 21423, Saudi Arabia.
Zaman
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Worsley
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Madani
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