title: Molecular epidemiology of Acinetobacter baumannii in central intensive care unit in Kosova Teaching Hospital.
abstract: Infections caused by bacteria of genus Acinetobacter pose a significant health care challenge worldwide. Information on molecular epidemiological investigation of outbreaks caused by Acinetobacter species in Kosova is lacking. The present investigation was carried out to enlight molecular epidemiology of Acinetobacter baumannii in the Central Intensive Care Unit (CICU) of a University hospital in Kosova using pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). During March - July 2006, A. baumannii was isolated from 30 patients, of whom 22 were infected and 8 were colonised. Twenty patients had ventilator-associated pneumonia, one patient had meningitis, and two had coinfection with bloodstream infection and surgical site infection. The most common diagnoses upon admission to the ICU were politrauma and cerebral hemorrhage. Bacterial isolates were most frequently recovered from endotracheal aspirate (86.7%). First isolation occurred, on average, on day 8 following admission (range 1-26 days). Genotype analysis of A. baumannii isolates identified nine distinct PFGE patterns, with predominance of PFGE clone E represented by isolates from 9 patients. Eight strains were resistant to carbapenems. The genetic relatedness of Acinetobacter baumannii was high, indicating cross-transmission within the ICU setting. These results emphasize the need for measures to prevent nosocomial transmission of A. baumannii in ICU.
authors.affiliation: Medical School, Prishtina University, Prishtina, Kosova. lulraka@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Lul
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Raka
authors.forename: Smilja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kalenć
authors.forename: Zrinka
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bosnjak
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Budimir
authors.forename: Stjepan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Katić
authors.forename: Dubravko
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sijak
authors.forename: Gjyle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mulliqi-Osmani
authors.forename: Dick
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zoutman
authors.forename: Arbëresha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jaka
mesh_terms: D000151:Acinetobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D040981:Acinetobacter baumannii / Q000235:genetics*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult; D015022:Yugoslavia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial