[Impact of an active surveillance program and infection control measures on the incidence of carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacilli in an intensive care unit]. / Impacto de un programa de vigilancia activa y medidas de control de infecciones sobre la incidencia de bacilos gram negativos resistentes a carbapenems en una unidad de cuidados intensivos.

Hospital-acquired infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (CRGNB) have been increasingly reported worldwide and are associated with high rates of mortality especially in intensive care units(ICUs). Early identification through rectal surveillance cultures and implementation of infection control measures(ICM) including contact precautions, staff education on cleaning and hand hygiene may reduce the spread of these microorganisms. The aim of this work was to assess the impact of enhanced ICM on CRGNB colonization and to describe the molecular epidemiology of these bacteria in a polyvalent ICU in a tertiary level hospital. A prospective study including audits and active surveillance culture program, with molecular characterization, was conducted before and after the implementation of prevention programs and infection control measures. Microbiological screening was performed in chromogenic media; PCR targeting ß-lactamases genes (blaKPC, blaNDM, blaVIM and blaOXA-48, blaSHV and blaCTX-M), molecular typing by PFGE; and MLST in K. pneumoniae were performed. CRGNB colonization was reduced from 16.92% to 9.67% upon implementing the infection control measures. In K. pneumoniae the most frequent carbapenemase type was KPC-2 associated with SHV-2 and CTX-M-15, and was disseminated in various STs (ST17, ST13, ST2256, ST353); there was no persistence of particular clones and virulence factors showed no association with hypervirulence. IMP-1 carbapenemase predominated in A. baumannii and the PFGE analysis individualized 3 clusters, assuming that the dissemination in the ICU was clonal. The early detection of patients colonized with CRBGN by using epidemiological surveillance cultures and the implementation of prophylactic measures are key to reducing the incidence of these microorganisms.

Impacto de un programa de vigilancia activa y medidas de control de infecciones sobre la incidencia de bacilos gram negativos resistentes a carbapenems en una unidad de cuidados intensivos

Resumen Las infecciones hospitalarias causadas por bacilos gram negativos resistentes a carbapenems (BGNCR) están asociadas al aumento de morbimortalidad y gasto sanitario. La identificación mediante cultivos de vigilancia y las medidas de control de infecciones permiten reducir su diseminación. El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar el impacto de un programa de vigilancia integrado a protocolos de control de infecciones sobre la incidencia de BGNCR y conocer su epidemiología molecular en una unidad de cuidados intensivos. Se realizaron auditorías seguidas de un programa de cultivo de vigilancia activa y caracterización molecular de BGNCR, antes y después de la implementación de programas de prevención y control de infecciones. El screening microbiológico se realizó en medios cromogénicos; la caracterización molecular de p-lactamasas (blaKPC, bla0XA-48-like, blaVIM, blaiMP, blaNDM, blaSHV y blaCTx-M) por PCR y la tipificación molecular por PFGE y MLST para Klebsiella pneumoniae. El protocolo desarrollado permitió reducir la colonización global de 16,92% al 9,67%. La diseminación de K. pneumoniae fue a expensas de diversos clones portadores de KPC-2 asociada a BLEE SHV-2 y CTX-M-15, y distribuidos en varios secuenciotipos (ST17, ST13, ST2256, ST353); no se observó persistencia de un clon particular y ningún aislamiento presentó factores de virulencia asociados a hipervi-rulencia. Los aislamientos de Acinetobacter baumannii fueron mayoritariamente productores de IMP-1. El análisis PFGE individualizó 3 clusters, asumiendo que la diseminación fue clonal.

Abstract Hospital-acquired infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (CRGNB) have been increasingly reported worldwide and are associated with high rates of mortality especially in intensive care units(ICUs). Early identification through rectal surveillance cultures and implementation of infection control measures(ICM) including contact precautions, staff education on cleaning and hand hygiene may reduce the spread of these microorganisms. The aim of this work was to assess the impact of enhanced ICM on CRGNB colonization and to describe the molecular epidemiology of these bacteria in a polyvalent ICU in a tertiary level hospital. A prospective study including audits and active surveillance culture program, with molecular characterization, was conducted before and after the implementation of prevention programs and infection control measures. Microbiological screening was performed in chromogenic media; PCR targeting p-lactamases genes (ó/qkpc, óíQndm, blaviM and blaoxA-48, blasHv and ó/qctx-m), molecular typing by PFGE; and MLST in K. pneumoniae were performed. CRGNB colonization was reduced from 16.92% to 9.67% upon implementing the infection control measures. In K. pneumoniae the most frequent carbapenemase type was KPC-2 associated with SHV-2 and CTX-M-15, and was disseminated in various STs (ST17, ST13, ST2256, ST353); there was no persistence of particular clones and virulence factors showed no association with hypervirulence. IMP-1 carbapenemase predominated in A. baumannii and the PFGE analysis individualized 3 clusters, assuming that the dissemination in the ICU was clonal. The early detection of patients colo-nized with CRBGN by using epidemiological surveillance cultures and the implementation of prophylactic measures are key to reducing the incidence of these microorganisms.