Prevalence rate of Klebsiella pneumoniae in the intensive care unit: epidemiology and molecular characteristics

Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase producing bacteria are defined as a group of Gramnegative bacilli that are highly resistant to drugs. The resistance of pathogens of the Enterobacteriaceae family to β-lactam antibiotics such as carbapenems is considered a major threat in the medical field. The main aim of the current study was to explore and confirm the occurrence of carbapenemase producing K. pneumoniae in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in different hospital environment sample sites of two Egyptian hospitals in Cairo. Isolates were collected and the screening criteria of carbapenemase producing bacteria was followed by the investigators in order to record the antimicrobial resistance patterns of all isolates in addition to the molecular identification using the 16S rDNA. This study determined the sites responsible for the spreading of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae including suction tubes, ventilator tubes, instrument tables and beds. All K. pneumoniae isolates collected from the ICU of both hospitals were resistant to oxacillin, meropenem and ceftazidime. Moreover, 16S rDNA gene sequence was used to study bacterial phylogeny and taxonomy for all K. pneumoniae isolates; the accession number of all isolates is reported. We concluded that infection control department policies in each hospital should be reinforced to avoid the escalation of K. pneumoniae as nosocomial infections in hospitals. This study should be repeated in other hospitals (especially the public hospitals) to assess the level of the problem.