Document Type : Original Article (s)
Authors
1
Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
2
Student of Medicine, School of Medicine AND Student Research Committee, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
3
Professor, Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
4
MSc Student, Department of Microbiology, Islamic Azad University, Falavarjan Branch, Isfahan, Iran
5
MSc Student, Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine AND Student Research Committee, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Abstract
Background: Bacterial drug resistance, due to overuse of antibiotics and several mechanisms of resistance by bacteria, is increasing. Multi-drug resistant bacteria (MDR) in different parts of the hospital including the intensive care unit (ICU), cause nosocomial infections and resistance to antibiotics made them difficult to treat. Alternative methods of treatment are one way to solve this problem. Bacteriophages are antibacterial agents that specifically attack their host. In this study, Pseudomonas specific lytic phages isolated from the clinical environment and its effect on multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated.Methods: In a cross sectional study in 2013, isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from clinical specimens of patients admitted to the intensive care unit were identified via biochemical methods. Then, antibiotic resistance patterns were determined via standard disk diffusion method according to CLSI (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute) and were used as indicator hosts to screen phages from water samples.Findings: 42 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa wre isolated from the intensive care units. The antibiotic resistant patterns of bacterial isolates were as follows: 88% to amikacin, 90% to cefepime, 85% to ceftazidime, 90% to gentamicin, 75% to imipenem and meropenem and 95% to ciprofloxacin. Lytic bacteriophage was isolated only from hospital wastewater. The isolated bacteriophage had no effect on non- multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other Gram-negative bacteria.Conclusion: Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is increasing. New alternative methods, such as phage therapy, would open new insights in treatment of multidrug resistant bacterial infections.
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