Blood culture contamination in a tertiary care hospital: a retrospective three-year study

Abstract Background Bloodstream infections (BSI) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients worldwide. A blood culture is the primary tool for determining whether a patient has BSI and requires antimicrobial therapy, but it can result in an inappropriate outcome if the isolated microorganisms are deemed contaminants from the skin. Despite the development of medical equipment and technology, there is still a percentage of blood culture contamination. The aims of this study were to detect the blood culture contamination (BCC) rate in a tertiary care hospital in Palestine and to identify the departments with the highest rates along with the microorganisms isolated from the contaminated blood samples. Method Blood cultures that were taken at An-Najah National University Hospital between January 2019 and December 2021 were evaluated retrospectively. Positive blood cultures were classified as either true positives or false positives based on laboratory results and clinical pictures. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant for all analyses. Results Out of 10,930 blood cultures performed in the microbiology laboratory from 2019 to 2021, 1479 (13.6%) were identified as positive blood cultures that showed microbial growth. Of these, 453 were blood culture contaminations, representing 4.17% of total blood cultures and 30.63% of the positive blood culture samples. The highest rate of contamination was in the hemodialysis unit (26.49%), followed by the emergency department (15.89%). Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most prevalent (49.2%), followed by Staphylococcus hominis (20.8%) and Staphylococcus haemolyticus (13.2%). The highest annual contamination rate was observed in 2019 (4.78%) followed by 2020 (3.95%) and the lowest was in 2021 (3.79%). The rate of BCC was decreasing, although it did not reach statistically significant levels (P value = 0.085). Conclusion The rate of BCC is higher than recommended. The rates of BCC are different in different wards and over time. Continuous monitoring and performance improvement projects are needed to minimize blood culture contamination and unnecessary antibiotic use

Impact of an antibiotic stewardship program on antibiotic utilization, bacterial susceptibilities, and cost of antibiotics

Abstract Antimicrobial misuse is a worldwide issue, and antimicrobial resistance is considered the most challenging aspect of health care. It has been reported that as much as 30–50% of antimicrobials prescribed in hospitals are deemed unnecessary or inappropriate. Antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) include policies that apply continuous management of judicious anti-infectious treatment in the clinical setting. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of ASPs on antibiotic consumption, the costs of antibiotic expenditure, and the sensitivity of antimicrobials. A retrospective, quasi-experimental study was performed to assess the effect of ASP at An-Najah National University Hospital, a tertiary care hospital in the West Bank, Palestine, over a period of 20 months before and 17 months after the implementation of the ASP. Data on antibiotic consumption were reported monthly as days of therapy per 1000 patient-days and monthly costs (USD/1000 patient-days). A total of 2367 patients who received one or more of the targeted antibiotics (meropenem, colistin and tigecycline) during their hospital stay were included in the study. They have split into two groups: 1710 patients in the pre-ASP group, and 657 patients in the post ASP group. The most significant reduction in DOT per 1000 patient-days was seen with tigecycline, with a percentage of change of − 62.08%. Furthermore, the mean cost of the three antibiotics decreased significantly by 55.5% in the post-ASP phase compared to the pre-ASP phase. After the implementation of ASP, there was a statistically significant increase in susceptibility to meropenem, piperacillin and piperacillin/tazobactam with respect to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. However, changes in mortality rates were not statistically significant (p = 0.057). ASP positively reduced costs and antimicrobial consumption, with no statistically significant effect on the overall mortality rate. However, a long-term evaluation of the ASP's impact is needed to conclude its lasting impact on infection-related mortality and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern

Antibiotic resistance profiles and associated factors of Pseudomonas Infections among patients admitted to large tertiary care hospital from a developing country

Abstract Background Pseudomonas infections are among the most common infections encountered in hospitalized patients, especially those with chronic illnesses or an immunocompromised state. Management of these infections has become challenging due to increased antibiotic resistance. Therefore, this study examines the antibiotic resistance profiles of Pseudomonas spp. and the associated factors among patients admitted to a large tertiary hospital in a developing country. Methods This retrospective observational chart review study assessed patients admitted to a large tertiary hospital in a developing country with a positive culture growth of Pseudomonas from anybody site. Antibiotic susceptibility of the isolated Pseudomonas and patient characteristics were studied from the start of 2021 to the end of 2022. The study ground consisted of 185 patients. Results The study included 185 patients with positive Pseudomonas isolates. Males constituted 54.6% of the sample, while 45.4% were females. The median age of the patients was 53 years. Patient comorbidities and risk factors for Pseudomonas infection and multidrug resistance were assessed. Antibiotic resistance to the Pseudomonas regimens showed the highest resistance to meropenem and ciprofloxacin (23.4%, similarly) among isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Multidrug resistance (MDR) was found in 108 (58.4%) isolates. The most commonly used antibiotic for treatment was piperacillin-tazobactam, accounting for 33.3% of cases, followed by aminoglycosides at 26.6%. Conclusions Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were resistant to meropenem and ciprofloxacin. Over half of the isolates were multidrug-resistant, which was worrying. Piperacillin-tazobactam and aminoglycosides were the most often utilized antibiotics, highlighting the significance of susceptibility testing. Implementing antimicrobial stewardship programs and infection control measures can help reduce drug resistance and improve outcomes in Pseudomonas infections