Antibiotic resistance, biofilm production ability and genetic diversity of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from nosocomial infections in southwestern Iran

BACKGROUND: This study was aimed to evaluate the antibiotic resistance, biofilm formation, and genetic diversity of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) strains isolated from four types of nosocomial infections (NIs) including urinary tract infection (UTI), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), surgical site infection (SSI), and bloodstream infection (BSI). METHODS AND RESULTS: In total, 115 isolates of NIs-causing P. aeruginosa were collected from NIs. Antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) was performed using disk diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentrations. Biofilm formation was tested on 96-well polystyrene microtiter plates (MTP). CRPA isolates were genotyped using multiple-locus variable number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). The most resistance and susceptibility rates were observed to amikacin (70.6%) and colistin (96.1%), respectively. Colistin and meropenem were the most active antimicrobial agents in VAP, SSI, and BSI. While, colistin and cefepime were the most active in UTIs. In total, 52.2% (n = 60/115) of P. aeruginosa isolates were carbapenem resistant, of which 95.0%, 55.0%, and 5.0% were multidrug-resistant, extensively drug-resistant, and pandrug-resistant, respectively. There was a significant association between resistance to carbapenem and resistance to other antibiotics except for piperacillin/tazobactam. The biofilm production of CRPA isolates was 95.0%, of which 23.3% were strong biofilm producers. Based on MLVA, there were 34 different types of CRPA isolates classified into three main clusters and 5 sub clusters. CONCLUSION: The association of CRPA with other antibiotic resistance, the high rates of biofilm production, and the high genetic diversity of the isolates may be a warning of the need for a careful surveillance program.