Antibiotic-Resistant Gram-negative Bacteria Carriage in Healthcare Workers Working in an Intensive Care Unit

Bich Thuy Duong; Minh Cuong Duong; James Campbell; Van Minh Hoang Nguyen; Huu Hien Nguyen; Thi Bich Hanh Bui; Van Vinh Chau Nguyen; Mary Louise McLaws

doi:10.3947/ic.2021.0040

Antibiotic-Resistant Gram-negative Bacteria Carriage in Healthcare Workers Working in an Intensive Care Unit

Infect Chemother. 2021 Sep;53(3):546-552. doi: 10.3947/ic.2021.0040. Epub 2021 Jul 22.

Authors

Bich Thuy Duong^{1

2}, Minh Cuong Duong³, James Campbell⁴, Van Minh Hoang Nguyen⁴, Huu Hien Nguyen¹, Thi Bich Hanh Bui¹, Van Vinh Chau Nguyen¹, Mary Louise McLaws²

Affiliations

¹ Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
² School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
³ School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. minh.duong@unsw.edu.au.
⁴ Oxford University Clinical Research Unit - Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Abstract

Little is known about antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) intestinal carriage among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Vietnam. All HCWs at a tertiary intensive care units were asked to undertake weekly rectal swabs. Among 40 participants, 65% (26/40) carried extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL)/AmpC β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli. Two HCWs colonized with ESBL/AmpC β-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae. One HCW colonized with Acinetobacter baumannii. No one carried Pseudomonas spp.. A quarter (10/40) of HCWs were identified as persistent and frequent carriers. There is an urgent need to screen antibiotic-resistant GNB among HCWs and improve HCWs' hand hygiene compliance to reduce the transmission of antibiotic-resistant GNB in the hospital.

Keywords: Antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria; Healthcare workers; Intensive care units.