Bacteria impervious to drugs are spreading from hospitals into the community, finds a study
A recent study has found that classically ‘hospital‘ strains of organisms, which were drug-resistant with high mortality, are now spreading in the community too. This means the bacteria causing infections which were mostly found in hospitals are now seen in the community as well. So be it your home, office or any other space, the resistant bacteria is seen everywhere.
The retrospective study conducted by researchers at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital was done on 201 patients who did not come into contact with any healthcare facility in the last three months or more. Infections due to multidrug-resistant organisms have become a serious health concern worldwide.
According to the experts, the present study was conducted to investigate the spectrum of microbial resistance pattern in the community and their effects on mortality.
“The results are extremely worrying. The incidence of resistance among bacteria has increased and is spreading in the community.
The distinction between community-acquired and hospital-acquired infections is becoming increasingly blurred. The main reasons for this are the spread of classically ‘hospital’ strains, particularly resistant Klebseilla and E Coli, into the community and vice versa, and the repeated admissions of individuals to hospitals with long standing underlying diseases,” said Dr Sumit Ray, study’s author and vice chairman, department of critical care, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
Increased use of anti-biotics in animals and by humans and the changing environment are a few reasons for the spread of this resistance bacteria in the community.
“Many a times, patients who go back from the hospital carry back a little bit of the infection to the community,” added Dr Ray.
Of the 5,309 patients screened from the database admitted to ICU, 71.9 per cent were infected on the day of admission or within 48 hours of admission. Of the suspected infected patients, 37.9 per cent had positive microbial isolates; 13.8 per cent of these culture positive patients were direct admissions from community with no documented contact with any healthcare facility in the last three months and enrolled into the study.
Out of 5,309 patients enrolled; 3,822 had suspected clinical infection on admission with 1,452 patients growing positive microbial cultures. Among these, 201 bacterial strains were isolated from patients who had community acquired infections.
The World Health Organization and Centre for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines have also emphasised the need of exploring incidence and associated risk factors which contribute to multidrug resistance.
“In addition, the contribution of antibiotic resistance in the community through easily available antibiotics often used without medical supervision has resulted in an increasing reservoir of potential infections. The resistance to high-end antibiotics by organisms contracted by patients in the community resulting in high mortality, seen in our study, is a cause for worry and needs further research and proper action plan,” added Dr Ray.
TOUGH BACTERIA
- Infections due to multidrug-resistant organisms have become a serious health concern.
- The study by researchers at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital aims to investigate the spectrum of microbial resistance pattern in the community and their effects.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Bacteria")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}