Prevalence of Extended Spectrum Beta‑Lactamase in Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from patients at Sharda Hospital, Greater Noida, Western UP

ABSTRACT Introduction: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important pathogen causing healthcare-associated infections especially in immunocompromised patients. It poses a threat to public health due to its inherent resistance to various antimicrobial agents and its ability to acquire new resistance through multiple mechanisms. Infections due to extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producing isolates of P. aeruginosa continue to be a challenge for clinicians as these result in high mortality and morbidity due to antimicrobial resistance. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Cefotaximase-Munich (CTX-M) producing strains of P. aeruginosa in Sharda hospital, Greater Noida. Methods: Strains of P. aeruginosa isolated from various clinical samples were subjected to phenotypic detection for ESBL production by disc combination method. Positive strains were then subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of blaCTX-M gene. Results: Out of 166 isolates of P. aeruginosa, 54 (32.53%) were phenotypically confirmed to produce ESBL. Out of these 54 isolates, 39 (72.22%) were positive for blaCTX-M gene. Multidrug resistance was found in 70 (42.17%) isolates. Imipenem was the most effective drug with a sensitivity of 64.86% whereas aztreonam was found to be least effective with sensitivity of only 36.74%. Conclusion: Current study highlights the phenotypic and molecular characterization of CTX-M gene in P.aeruginosa in our hospital set-up. With judicious use of antimicrobials and strict infection control practices, it might be possible to limit the effect of these drug destroying enzymes. Keywords: CTX-M gene, Extended spectrum beta lactamases, Hospital acquired infections, multidrug resistance, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.