| Introduction: Multi-drug resistant (MDR) P. aeruginosa is constantly increasing and
causing severe issues in combatting widely spread health problems. The aim of this
study was to assess colistin susceptibility in MDR P. aeruginosa isolates obtained from
different infection sites.
Methods: Ninety clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa were collected from different
hospitals of the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. All isolates were identified using
standard microbiology tests. The disk diffusion susceptibility testing was performed
according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Antibiotic
disks used in this study included ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, ceftazidime, amikacin,
gentamicin, cefepime, imipenem, meropenem, ticarcillin/clavulanic acid, piperacillin,
aztreonam, and colistin. The MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) of colistin was
determined by the agar dilution method according to CLSI guidelines.
Results: MDR isolates were found in 75.6%, in which there was a high frequency in
wound specimens (23.3%), followed by blood (17.8%), urine (15.6%), trachea (13.3%),
and peritoneum (5.6%). High resistance rate (above 50%) was observed with
piperacillin, aztreonam, ceftazidime, cefepime, meropenem, gentamicin, amikacin,
ciprofloxacin, and levofloxacin. All isolates were found to be susceptible to colistin
through the disk diffusion method; however, two isolates were non-susceptible in the
agar dilution method.
Conclusion: The present study shows a high frequency of MDR P. aeruginosa in our
subjects, the limitations of empirical therapy, and the need for susceptibility testing. The
most effective antibiotic against MDR P. aeruginosa was colistin. Therefore, colistin
may be an alternative antimicrobial agent for infections due to MDR P. aeruginosa. |