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Journal of Medical Microbiology logo Journal of Medical Microbiology

Volume 73, Issue 6

Antimicrobial resistance patterns among critical priority pathogens in an intensive care unit at a tertiary hospital in Egypt: a descriptive analysis comparing pre- and COVID-19 eras No Access

Abstract

The intensified global challenge of antimicrobial resistance, set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, is a cause for major concern. Within healthcare settings, intensive care units are recognized as focal points for Gram-negative infections. The study pursued to assess the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance patterns of critical priority pathogens (, , Enterobacteriaceae, comprising and ) during both pre- and COVID-19 periods.

The decision to explore this topic stemmed from the urgent need to understand how the exceptional healthcare crisis of COVID-19 affected AMR patterns.

This was an observational retrospective analysis of 1056 clinical specimens obtained from 950 patients who were admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Kasr Al-Aini Hospital, Cairo University, Egypt.

In the period before COVID-19, 342 pathogenic isolates (135 . , 83 . , 76 . and 48 ) were obtained from samples collected from 450 patients. Conversely, during the COVID-19 period, 714 isolates (237 . , 205 . , 199 . and 73 ) were collected from the same number of patients. In the course of the pandemic, there is a slight increase in and infections, whereas and exhibit a distinct trend with a noticeable reduction in infection rates during COVID-19. During the COVID-19 period, a noticeable rise in resistance rates was observed for all antibiotics utilized. The results from Fisher’s exact test indicated a substantial increase in resistance towards certain antibiotics. Specifically, a significant rise in resistance was observed for to ciprofloxacin ( = 0.00), gentamicin and ( = 0.02), levofloxacin and ( = 0.01), piperacillin-tazobactam and ( = 0.04), and piperacillin-tazobactam and ( = 0.01).

Our results display how the pandemic impacted bacterial infections and antibiotic resistance, indicating a general increase in resistance rates. These findings are crucial for guiding healthcare practices, emphasizing the need for continued surveillance and potentially checking antibiotic usage schemes.

  • Received:
  • Accepted:
  • Published Online:
Keyword(s): antimicrobial resistance , COVID-19 impact , critical priority pathogens , Gram-negative infections and intensive care units
© 2024 The Authors
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2024-06-25
2025-06-12
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/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.001838
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Antimicrobial resistance patterns among critical priority pathogens in an intensive care unit at a tertiary hospital in Egypt: a descriptive analysis comparing pre- and COVID-19 eras
J. Med. Microbiol. 73, 001838 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.001838
/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.001838
/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.001838
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