Implementation of global antimicrobial resistance surveillance system (GLASS) in patients with bacteriuria

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the practicality and advantage of Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (GLASS) for surveillance of urine culture samples collected from patients with bacteriuria.

Methods: GLASS has been implemented at a tertiary care university hospital in Thailand by using the web application program to collect clinical data and urine culture data from patients with positive urine culture.

Results: There were 5085 urine samples from 3545 patients that were sent to our microbiology laboratory during June-December 2017. Bacteriuria was found in 1944 patients. Of those, 952 had urinary tract infection (UTI), and 1161 had colonization. Among UTI patients, hospital-acquired infection (HAI) was observed in 74.2 %, and community-acquired infection (CAI) was found in 28.7 %. E. coli and S. agalactiae were more frequently observed in CAI, but P. aeruginosa, P. mirabilis, E. faecium, and A. baumannii were more prevalent in HAI. UTI isolates demonstrated less resistance to antibiotics than colonized isolates. Non-duplicate isolates of bacteria demonstrated less resistance than duplicate isolates. E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, P. mirabilis, E. faecalis, and E. faecium causing HAI were more resistant to antibiotics than those causing CAI.

Conclusion: GLASS is feasible to implement and more beneficial than laboratory-based surveillance. This study collects additional information beyond GLASS including causative bacteria and colonizing bacteria; types of UTI; and more specific criteria to distinguish HAI from CAI so that such data can be used for developing more valid local guidelines for selecting antibiotic therapy in UTI patients in addition to AMR surveillance in urine samples.

Keywords: Bacteriuria; Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (GLASS); Implementation; Surveillance; Urine culture samples.