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Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a Cause of Nosocomial Infections
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as a gram-negative aerobic rod, is still one of the most resistant agents of nosocomial infections. It is used for the development of respiratory, urinary and wound infections. It causes bacteremia, especially in patients who are hospitalized for anesthesiology and resuscitation department or ICU, who often have respiratory insufficiency and hemodynamic instability and require artificial lung ventilation. Mechanical ventilation itself is a significant risk factor for the development of pseudomonad pneumonia. Pseudomonas aeruginosa has enzymes that are encoded on both chromosomes and plasmids, often in combination with other mechanisms of resistance, such as reducing the permeability of the outer or cytoplasmic membrane. Due to carbapenemases, Pseudomonas aeruginosa loses sensitivity to carbapenem and becomes resistant to this antibiotic. It also becomes resistant to aminoglycosides, cephalosporins and ureidopenicillins. It is also resistant to Quaternary disinfectants. The reservoir of pseudomonas nosocomial infection is hospital water, taps, shower roses, swimming pools, healing waters and others. The intervention of anti-epidemic measures in the case of infections caused by pseudomonad strains has not yet reached such sophistication as in the case of MRSA for time, personnel and economic reasons. In the absence of an epidemic, intervention in sporadic cases consists of informing nursing staff of the occurrence of a multidrug-resistant agent, including providing all patient demographics and relieving careful adherence to the barrier treatment, cleansing, disinfection and isolation regimen.
Part of the book: Pseudomonas aeruginosa