Microbiological Evaluation of Commercial Hand Sanitisers Available in Pakistan Using European Standard and Membrane Filtration Method.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of various commercially available alcohol-based hand sanitisers (ABHS) using European standard (EN 1500) method and perform ABHS testing with membrane filtration method. STUDY DESIGN: A Cross-sectional observational study. Place and Duration of the Study: Quality Control Section of the Microbiology Laboratory, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, from February to April 2023. METHODOLOGY: Efficacy of 14 commercially and widely accessible hand sanitisers was defined as reducing micro-organism growth. It was determined using the EN 1500 European standard test and membrane filtration method. RESULTS: Majority (92.8%) ABHS showed a significant bacterial reduction except one ABHS tested with the EN 1500 method. Only six ABHS products were tested through the membrane filtration method because high viscosity of hand sanitisers was causing damage to filter membranes. CONCLUSION: Continued vigilance in evaluating hand sanitiser's efficacy through robust testing methods is essential to ensure public health and prevent the dissemination of misleading products that may compromise hand hygiene practices. KEY WORDS: Hand sanitisers, European standard, Membrane filtration method, Antibacterial efficacy.

Daptomycin MICs by Broth Microdilution Method Against Staphylococcus aureus in Clinical Specimens: A Cross-Sectional Study from Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the distribution of daptomycin (DAP) minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) in Staphylococcus aureus isolated from complicated skin, soft tissue, and bloodstream infections collected from the Pakistani population using broth microdilution (BMD). STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Aga Khan University Hospital, from May to October 2021. METHODOLOGY: Through consecutive sampling techniques, 169 Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) isolated from clinical specimens including pus, tissue, and blood were collected. Patients' data including age, gender, geographical location, specimen site, and methicillin susceptibility were collected from the laboratory data. BMD was used to determine MICs of clinical isolates and S. aureus ATCC 29213. DAP MIC ≤1.0 µg/ml was considered susceptible according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute M100. RESULTS: Among all the clinical isolates, 144 (85%) and 25 (15%) were from skin and soft tissue and blood, respectively. All isolates were susceptible to DAP with MIC50, MIC90, and MIC range of 0.25 µg/ml, 0.5 µg/ml, and 0.06 - 0.5 µg/ml, respectively. CONCLUSION: These study findings demonstrated low in-vitro MICs for DAP against S. aureus in tested isolates from a diverse variety of patient specimens from across Pakistan. KEY WORDS: Daptomycin, Staphylococcus aureus, Broth microdilution, Minimum inhibitory concentrations.

Ceftriaxone resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi A identified in a case of enteric fever: first case report from Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Enteric fever is an acute systemic infectious disease associated with substantial morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), with a global burden of 14.3 million cases. Cases of enteric fever or paratyphoid fever, caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi A (S. Para A) have been found to rise in many endemic and non-endemic countries. Drug resistance is relatively uncommon in S. Para A. Here we report a case of paratyphoid fever caused by ceftriaxone resistant S. Para A from Pakistan. CASE PRESENTATION: A 29-year-old female presented with a history of fever, headache, and shivering. Her blood culture revealed a S. Para A isolate (S7), which was resistant to ceftriaxone, cefixime, ampicillin and ciprofloxacin. She was prescribed oral Azithromycin for 10 days, which resulted in resolution of her symptoms. Two other isolates of S. Para A (S1 and S4), resistant to fluoroquinolone were also selected for comparison. DST and whole genome sequencing was performed for all three isolates. Sequence analysis was performed for identification of drug resistance and phylogeny. Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) of S7 revealed the presence of plasmids, IncX4 and IncFIB(K). blaCTX-M-15 and qnrS1 genes were found on IncFIB(K). The gyrA S83F mutation conferring fluoroquinolone resistance was also found present. Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) showed the S7 isolate to belong to ST129. S1 and S4 had the gyrA S83Y and S83F mutations respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We highlight the occurrence of plasmid-mediated ceftriaxone resistant strain of S. Para A. This is of significance as ceftriaxone is commonly used to treat paratyphoid fever and resistance in S. Para A is not known. Continuous epidemiological surveillance is required to monitor the transmission and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among Typhoidal Salmonellae. This will guide treatment options and preventive measures including the need for vaccination against S. Para A in the region.

Field evaluation of typhoid conjugate vaccine in a catch-up campaign among children aged 9 months to 15 years in Sindh, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) has recently been introduced in the expanded program for immunization (EPI) in Pakistan. Before its introduction in routine immunization, a onetime catchup campaign among children 9 months to 15 years old was conducted in November 2019. We performed field evaluation of TCV against culture confirmed Salmonella Typhi (S. Typhi) among 9 months to 15 years old children during the catch up campaign in Karachi and Hyderabad. METHODS: A rapid assessment of blood culture confirmed S. Typhi was performed. Age eligible cases of culture confirmed S. Typhi were identified from the laboratory networks of Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi and Hyderabad, Kharadar General Hospital Karachi, and Liaqat University of Medical & Health Sciences (LUMHS) Hyderabad. Information on sociodemographic, typhoid vaccination history and antimicrobial resistance was collected using a structured questionnaire. Patient medical records and lab reports were also reviewed to collect information on diagnosis and antimicrobial susceptibility information. Information about the population vaccination coverage during catch-up campaign was obtained from the provincial EPI office. Field performance of TCV in catchup campaign was measured by calculating the effectiveness using rapid screening method which is less resource-intensive technique of calculating vaccine effectiveness (VE). RESULTS: Overall, 968 culture confirmed typhoid cases were enrolled. Among them, 82% (793/968) were from Karachi and 18% (175/968) from Hyderabad. The average age of the participants was 5.68 years, and 54% (523/968) were male. 6% (62/968) of the culture confirmed S. Typhi cases were multidrug resistant (MDR), and 61% (586/968) were extensively drug resistant (XDR). The VE using the TCV coverage data provided by EPI was 98%. CONCLUSION: TCV is effective against culture confirmed S. Typhi among children aged 9 months to 15 years in the catch-up campaign setting. While typhoid vaccination can significantly decrease the burden of typhoid disease, improvements in sanitation and hygiene are necessary for the prevention of spread of enteric fever. Longer term follow up will be needed to assess the duration of protection and requirement for booster doses of TCV.

Incidence of typhoid and paratyphoid fever in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan: results of the Surveillance for Enteric Fever in Asia Project.

BACKGROUND: Precise enteric fever disease burden data are needed to inform prevention and control measures, including the use of newly available typhoid vaccines. We established the Surveillance for Enteric Fever in Asia Project (SEAP) to inform these strategies. METHODS: From September, 2016, to September, 2019, we conducted prospective clinical surveillance for Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi (S Typhi) and Paratyphi (S Paratyphi) A, B, and C at health facilities in predetermined catchment areas in Dhaka, Bangladesh; Kathmandu and Kavrepalanchok, Nepal; and Karachi, Pakistan. Patients eligible for inclusion were outpatients with 3 or more consecutive days of fever in the last 7 days; inpatients with suspected or confirmed enteric fever; patients with blood culture-confirmed enteric fever from the hospital laboratories not captured by inpatient or outpatient enrolment and cases from the laboratory network; and patients with non-traumatic ileal perforation under surgical care. We used a hybrid surveillance model, pairing facility-based blood culture surveillance with community surveys of health-care use. Blood cultures were performed for enrolled patients. We calculated overall and age-specific typhoid and paratyphoid incidence estimates for each study site. Adjusted estimates accounted for the sensitivity of blood culture, the proportion of eligible individuals who consented and provided blood, the probability of care-seeking at a study facility, and the influence of wealth and education on care-seeking. We additionally calculated incidence of hospitalisation due to typhoid and paratyphoid. FINDINGS: A total of 34 747 patients were enrolled across 23 facilitates (six tertiary hospitals, surgical wards of two additional hospitals, and 15 laboratory network sites) during the study period. Of the 34 303 blood cultures performed on enrolled patients, 8705 (26%) were positive for typhoidal Salmonella. Adjusted incidence rates of enteric fever considered patients in the six tertiary hospitals. Adjusted incidence of S Typhi, expressed per 100 000 person-years, was 913 (95% CI 765-1095) in Dhaka. In Nepal, the adjusted typhoid incidence rates were 330 (230-480) in Kathmandu and 268 (202-362) in Kavrepalanchok. In Pakistan, the adjusted incidence rates per hospital site were 176 (144-216) and 103 (85-126). The adjusted incidence rates of paratyphoid (of which all included cases were due to S Paratyphi A) were 128 (107-154) in Bangladesh, 46 (34-62) and 81 (56-118) in the Nepal sites, and 23 (19-29) and 1 (1-1) in the Pakistan sites. Adjusted incidence of hospitalisation was high across sites, and overall, 2804 (32%) of 8705 patients with blood culture-confirmed enteric fever were hospitalised. INTERPRETATION: Across diverse communities in three south Asian countries, adjusted incidence exceeded the threshold for "high burden" of enteric fever (100 per 100 000 person-years). Incidence was highest among children, although age patterns differed across sites. The substantial disease burden identified highlights the need for control measures, including improvements to water and sanitation infrastructure and the implementation of typhoid vaccines. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The international and intercontinental spread and expansion of antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella Typhi: a genomic epidemiology study.

BACKGROUND: The emergence of increasingly antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S Typhi) threatens to undermine effective treatment and control. Understanding where antimicrobial resistance in S Typhi is emerging and spreading is crucial towards formulating effective control strategies. METHODS: In this genomic epidemiology study, we sequenced the genomes of 3489 S Typhi strains isolated from prospective enteric fever surveillance studies in Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India (between 2014 and 2019), and combined these with a global collection of 4169 S Typhi genome sequences isolated between 1905 and 2018 to investigate the temporal and geographical patterns of emergence and spread of antimicrobial-resistant S Typhi. We performed non-parametric phylodynamic analyses to characterise changes in the effective population size of fluoroquinolone-resistant, extensively drug-resistant (XDR), and azithromycin-resistant S Typhi over time. We inferred timed phylogenies for the major S Typhi sublineages and used ancestral state reconstruction methods to estimate the frequency and timing of international and intercontinental transfers. FINDINGS: Our analysis revealed a declining trend of multidrug resistant typhoid in south Asia, except for Pakistan, where XDR S Typhi emerged in 2016 and rapidly replaced less-resistant strains. Mutations in the quinolone-resistance determining region (QRDR) of S Typhi have independently arisen and propagated on at least 94 occasions, nearly all occurring in south Asia. Strains with multiple QRDR mutations, including triple mutants with high-level fluoroquinolone resistance, have been increasing in frequency and displacing strains with fewer mutations. Strains containing acrB mutations, conferring azithromycin resistance, emerged in Bangladesh around 2013 and effective population size of these strains has been steadily increasing. We found evidence of frequent international (n=138) and intercontinental transfers (n=59) of antimicrobial-resistant S Typhi, followed by local expansion and replacement of drug-susceptible clades. INTERPRETATION: Independent acquisition of plasmids and homoplastic mutations conferring antimicrobial resistance have occurred repeatedly in multiple lineages of S Typhi, predominantly arising in south Asia before spreading to other regions. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Diagnostic Accuracy and Agreement between Four Phenotypic Carbapenemase Detection Tests among Enterobacterales.

INTRODUCTION: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CREs) are becoming increasingly popular as a cause of hospital-acquired infections that are difficult to treat and are frequently reported as causes of outbreaks in various hospitals. Conventional culturing techniques take at least 2 days to report a case as carbapenem resistant, and it is therefore important to detect such resistance mechanisms as early as possible. METHODS: This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of Carba NP, modified Hodge test (MHT), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) disk synergy test (DST), and the modified carbapenem inactivation method (mCIM). This study was done at Microbiology Laboratory, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. It was an observational study. Carba NP, MHT, EDTA DST, and the mCIM were performed on consecutive isolates of Enterobacterales. Sensitivity, specificity, and agreement between the four tests were calculated. RESULTS: Of 207 Enterobacterales isolated, 127 were resistant to carbapenems. One hundred and fourteen of these were tested by a polymerase chain reaction, and the sensitivities of the Carba NP, MHT, EDTA DST, and the mCIM were found to be 94.34%, 75.47%, 79.25%, and 98.11%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Due to increased rates of carbapenem resistance, there is a need to employ mechanisms in hospitals that can identify such organisms as early as possible, both from clinical and epidemiological standpoints. The Carba NP test is a rapid, cost-effective, and reliable method and mCIM is more accurate but time consuming and both can be safely used for the screening of CREs.

Comparison of antimicrobial efficacy of Calcipex and Metapex in endodontic treatment of chronic apical periodontitis: a randomised controlled trial study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Various intracanal medicaments have been used in cases of chronic apical periodontitis for appropriate disinfection of the root canal system to eliminate microbes especially from the inaccessible areas. Calcium hydroxide is the most common intracanal medicament available in various forms, but its effectiveness with or without iodoform using microbial culture is unknown. Therefore, our aim is to compare the antimicrobial efficacy of Calcipex and Metapex in endodontic treatment of teeth presenting with chronic apical periodontitis by assessing the bacterial load reduction. METHOD AND ANALYSIS: 60 single rooted teeth of patients with diagnosis of chronic apical periodontitis will be selected and the canals debrided chemomechanically. The patients will be randomised into two groups: Calcipex and Metapex. The first sample (S1) for bacterial culture will be taken before placement of intracanal medicament and the second sample (S2) will be taken after 7 days, before final obturation from the canal and sent to lab for culture. Colony-forming unit will be evaluated. Paired t-test will be used to assess difference between antimicrobial efficacies within the group of medicaments. Independent sample t-test will be used to assess antimicrobial efficacies between groups. Level of significance will be kept at 0.05. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Approval from Aga Khan University Hospital Ethical review committee is taken. Findings will be reported according to the Standard Protocol Items for Randomised Trials guidelines. Research findings will be disseminated through annual reports, peer-reviewed journals and conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04336709.

Prevalence and risk factors associated with multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO) carriage among pediatric patients at the time of admission in a tertiary care hospital of a developing country. A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The rise of Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) poses a considerable burden on the healthcare systems, particularly in low-middle income countries like Pakistan. There is a scarcity of data on the carriage of MDRO particularly in the pediatrics population therefore, we aimed to determine MDRO carriage in pediatric patients at the time of admission to a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, and to identify the risk factors associated with it. METHODS: A cross-sectional study conducted at the pediatric department of Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) from May to September 2019 on 347 children aged 1-18 years. For identification of MDRO (i.e., Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) producers, Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE), Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter species and MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa), nasal swabs and rectal swabs or stool samples were cultured on specific media within 72 h of hospitalization. Data was collected on a predesigned structured questionnaire on demographics, prior use of antibiotics for > 48 h in the last 6 months, history of vaccination in last 6 months, exposure to health care facility regardless of the time of exposure, ICU stay for > 72 h, and about the prior use of medical devices (urinary catheter, central venous lines etc.) in last 1 year. Statistical analysis was performed by Standard statistical software. RESULTS: Out of 347 participants, 237 (68.3%) were found to be MDRO carriers. Forty nine nasal swabs from 346 children (14.2%) showed growth of MRSA. The majority of the stool/rectal swabs (n = 222 of 322; 69%) collected were positive for MDRO. The most isolated species were ESBL Escherichia coli 174/222 (78.3%) followed by ESBL Enterobacter species 37/222 (16.7%) and ESBL Klebsiella pneumoniae 35/222 (15.8%). On univariate analysis, none of the risk factors showed statistically significant association with MDRO carriage. CONCLUSION: Overall, a high prevalence of MDRO carriage was identified among admitted pediatric patients. Implementation of systematic screening may help to identify true burden of MDROs carriage in the health care settings.

Comparison of ß-D-Glucan levels between Candida auris and other Candida species at the time of candidaemia: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: To compare serum ß-D-glucan (BDG) levels in candidaemia with different Candida species, especially C. auris. METHODS: Aga Khan University clinical laboratory database was retrospectively reviewed from January 2015 to December 2019. Blood culture positive cases with any Candida species and concomitant BDG level were included. RESULTS: Among the 192 cases included in our study, 48 were C. albicans, 54 C. auris, eight C. glabrata, 32 C. parapsilosis, 43 C. tropicalis and seven other Candida species. The level of BDG was significantly lower in C. auris (median 62.43, interquartile range (IQR) 12.80-182.94 pg/mL) compared to C. albicans (median 266.83, IQR 66.29-523.43 pg/mL) and C. tropicalis (median 324.41, IQR 105.20-523.44 pg/mL). The sensitivity of serum BDG was significantly lower for C. auris (43.75%, 95% CI 29.5-58.8%) than C. tropicalis (79.07%, 95% CI 64.0-90.0%). DISCUSSION: Serum BDG has lower sensitivity in patients with suspected C. auris candidaemia in our setting. Considering that C. auris has higher morbidity and mortality than other species, a more sensitive test is required.

Extraintestinal Seeding of Salmonella enterica Serotype Typhi, Pakistan.

We evaluated Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi strains isolated from all body sites in Pakistan during 2013-2018. Despite an increase in overall number of localized, extensively drug-resistant Salmonella Typhi in organ infections during 2018, there was no increase in the proportion of such isolates in comparison with non-extensively drug-resistant isolates.

Increase in Penicillin and multidrug resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae (1993-2016): Report from a tertiary care hospital laboratory, Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the trend of resistance to antimicrobials in Streptococcus pneumoniae infections, and the impact of new Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines on 1211 among meningeal isolates. METHODS: The descriptive observational retrospective study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital laboratory in Karachi, and comprised Streptococcus pneumoniae isolation and antimicrobial susceptibility data over a period of 24 years, from 1993 to 2016, which was compared in terms of pre-2008 and post-2008 data, which was analysed using SPSS 19. RESULTS: Of the 7415 non-duplicate isolates identified, 4700(63.4%) were from male patients and 2,715(36.6%) were from female patients. The overall mean age of the patients was 38±27 years. Penicillin resistance in non-meningeal isolates during the two periods was not significantly different (p>0.05), but a significant rise in penicillin resistance in meningeal isolates was observed in the second period (p<0.05). High resistance rates were observed for co-trimoxazole, tetracycline and erythromycin, and an increased trend of multi-drug resistant strains was also noted from 1999 {n=35/317(11%)} to 2016 {n=110/314 (36%)}. CONCLUSIONS: The emergence of multi-drug resistant strains was evident. The spike in penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae in meningeal isolates may have been due to the revised guidelines by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute.

Burden of Culture Confirmed Enteric Fever Cases in Karachi, Pakistan: Surveillance For Enteric Fever in Asia Project (SEAP), 2016-2019.

BACKGROUND: The Surveillance for Enteric Fever in Asia Project (SEAP) is a multicenter, multicountry study conducted in Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. The objectives of the study were to characterize disease incidence among patients with enteric fever. We report the burden of enteric fever at selected sites of Karachi, Pakistan. METHODS: During September 2016 to September 2019, prospective surveillance was conducted at inpatient, outpatient, surgical departments, and laboratory networks of Aga Khan University Hospital, Kharadar General Hospital, and surgery units of National Institute of Child Health and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. Socio-demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were obtained from all suspected or confirmed enteric fever cases. RESULTS: Overall, 22% (2230/10 094) of patients enrolled were culture-positive for enteric fever. 94% (2093/2230) of isolates were Salmonella Typhi and 6% (137/2230) were S. Paratyphi. 15% of isolates multi-drug resistant (MDR) to first-line antibiotics and 60% were extensively drug-resistant (XDR), resistant to first-line antibiotics, fluoroquinolones and third generation cephalosporin. CONCLUSION: Enteric fever cases have increased during the last 3 years with large proportion of drug resistant S. Typhi cases. However, the burden of paratyphoid is still relatively low. Strengthening the existing surveillance system for enteric fever and antimicrobial resistance at the national level is recommended in Pakistan to inform prevention measures. While typhoid vaccination can significantly decrease the burden of typhoid and may also impact antimicrobial resistance, water, sanitation, and hygiene improvement is highly recommended to prevent the spread of enteric fever.

Antimicrobial Resistance in Typhoidal Salmonella: Surveillance for Enteric Fever in Asia Project, 2016-2019.

BACKGROUND: Clinicians have limited therapeutic options for enteric as a result of increasing antimicrobial resistance, and therefore typhoid vaccination is recommended as a preventive measure. As a part of the Surveillance for Enteric Fever in Asia Project (SEAP), we investigated the extent measured the burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among confirmed enteric fever cases in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan. METHODS: From September 2016-September 2019, SEAP recruited study participants of all age groups from its outpatient, inpatient, hospital laboratory, laboratory network, and surgical sites who had a diagnosis of febrile illness that was either suspected or blood culture confirmed for enteric fever. Antimicrobial resistance of isolates was determined by disc diffusion using Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute cut-off points. We reported the frequency of multidrug resistance (MDR)(resistance to ampicillin, cotrimoxazole, and chloramphenicol), extensive drug resistance (XDR) (MDR plus non-susceptible to fluoroquinolone and any 3rd generation cephalosporins), and fluoroquinolone (FQ) and azithromycin non-susceptibility. RESULTS: We enrolled 8,705 blood culture confirmed enteric fever cases: 4,873 (56%) from Bangladesh, 1,602 (18%) from Nepal and 2,230 (26%) from Pakistan. Of these, 7,591 (87%) were Salmonella Typhi and 1114 (13%) were S. Paratyphi. MDR S. Typhi was identified in 17% (701/4065) of isolates in Bangladesh, and 1% (19/1342) in Nepal. In Pakistan, 16 % (331/2084) of S. Typhi isolates were MDR, and 64% (1319/2074) were XDR. FQ nonsusceptibility among S. Typhi isolates was 98% in Bangladesh, 87% in Nepal, and 95% in Pakistan. Azithromycin non-susceptibility was detected in 77 (2%) in Bangladesh, 9 (.67%) in Nepal and 9 (.59%) isolates in Pakistan. In Pakistan, three (2%) S. Paratyphi isolates were MDR; no MDR S. Paratyphi was reported from Bangladesh or Nepal. CONCLUSIONS: Although AMR against S. Paratyphi was low across the three countries, there was widespread drug resistance among S. Typhi, including FQ non-susceptibility and the emergence of XDR S. Typhi in Pakistan, limiting treatment options. As typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) is rolled out, surveillance should continue to monitor changes in AMR to inform policies and to monitor drug resistance in S. Paratyphi, for which there is no vaccine.

An antibiotic stewardship program in a surgical ICU of a resource-limited country: financial impact with improved clinical outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic resistance (ABX-R) is alarming in lower/middle-income countries (LMICs). Nonadherence to antibiotic guidelines and inappropriate prescribing are significant contributing factors to ABX-R. This study determined the clinical and economic impacts of antibiotic stewardship program (ASP) in surgical intensive care units (SICU) of LMIC. METHOD: We conducted this pre and post-test analysis in adult SICU of Aga Khan University Hospital, Pakistan, and compared pre-ASP (September-December 2017) and post-ASP data (April-July 2018). January-March 2018 as an implementation/training phase, for designing standard operating procedures and training the team. We enrolled all the patients admitted to adult SICU and prescribed any antibiotic. ASP-team daily reviewed antibiotics prescription for its appropriateness. Through prospective-audit and feedback-mechanism changes were made and recorded. Outcome measures included antibiotic defined daily dose (DDDs)/1000 patient-days, prescription appropriateness, antibiotic duration, readmission, mortality, and cost-effectiveness. RESULT: 123 and 125 patients were enrolled in pre-ASP and post-ASP periods. DDDs/1000 patient-days of all the antibiotics reduced in the post-ASP period, ceftriaxone, cefazolin, metronidazole, piperacillin/tazobactam, and vancomycin showed statistically significant (p < 0.01) reduction. The duration of all antibiotics use reduced significantly (p < 0.01). Length of SICU stays, mortality, and readmission reduced in the post-ASP period. ID-pharmacist interventions and source-control-documentation were observed in 62% and 50% cases respectively. Guidelines adherence improved significantly (p < 0.01). Net cost saving is 6360US$ yearly, mainly through reduced antibiotics consumption, around US$ 18,000 (PKR 2.8 million) yearly. CONCLUSION: ASP implementation with supplemental efforts can improve the appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions and the optimum duration of use. The approach is cost-effective mainly due to the reduced cost of antibiotics with rational use. Better source-control-documentation may further minimize the ABX-R in SICU.

Mobile phones in the orthopedic operating room: Microbial colonization and antimicrobial resistance.

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality following orthopedic surgery. Recent efforts to identify sources of contamination in the operating rooms have implicated mobile phones. AIM: To investigate microbial colonization on the mobile phones of health care professionals in the orthopedic operating room. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving culture and sensitivity analysis of swabs taken from the mobile phones of orthopedic and anesthesia attendings, residents, technicians and nurses working in the orthopedic operating rooms over a period of two months. Demographic and cell phone related factors were recorded using a questionnaire and the factors associated with contamination were analyzed. RESULTS: Ninety-three of 100 mobile phones were contaminated. Species isolated were Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (62%), Micrococcus (41%) and Bacillus (26%). The risk of contamination was increased with mobile covers and cracked screens and decreased by cell phone cleaning. CONCLUSION: Mobile phones belonging to health care workers are frequently contaminated with pathogenic bacteria with the potential of transferring drug resistance to nosocomial pathogens. Studies investigating the relationship to surgical site infections need to be conducted. The concept of "mobile hygiene" involving the change of mobile covers, replacement of cracked screens or even wiping the phone with an alcohol swab could yield the cost-effective balance that contaminated cell phones deserve until they are established as a direct cause of surgical site infections.

Efforts to improve diagnosis of bacteraemia by reducing blood culture contamination in an emergency department: strategies and outcome.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the strategies and outcome for reducing blood culture contamination in order to improve the diagnosis of bacteraemia. METHODS: The interventional study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2016. The blood culture contamination data related to the first year of the study was taken as the baseline pre-intervention data. Strategies were planned as intervention for improvement by consolidating training and education in the form of dedicated lectures, practising on mannequins and developing in-house video, replacing povidone with 2% chlorhexidine preparation spray plus 70% isopropyl alcohol swabs and inducting dedicated phlebotomy team whose only responsibility was blood sample collection and minimising the probability of error. RESULTS: In 2013, there were 8868 samples; 7402 in 2014; 6897 in 2015; and 9756 samples in 2016. The contamination rate in 2013 was 8% which went down to 7.75% in 2014, 4.25% in 2015 and 3.9% in 2016. The decline became statistically significant (p<0.001) after implementing a dedicated phlebotomy team in the emergency department. CONCLUSIONS: Apart from teaching and training, the concept of blood culture collection kit with checklist and dedicated blood collection team was found to be vital in reducing blood culture contamination.

A Case Report on Isolation of Linezolid- and Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium Species from Cerebrospinal Fluid of a Patient Suffering from Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt-associated Meningitis.

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are one of the most common nosocomial infections. Linezolid has been used to treat such infections extensively. Over time there have been reports where linezolid resistance in enterococci has been documented. This is the first report from Pakistan where linezolid- and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium was isolated from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample from infected ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt.

Microbial Colonization of Pneumatic Tourniquets in the Orthopedic Operating Room.

Background The rate of surgical site infections following orthopedic procedures is approximately 2% globally. Potential sources of contamination in the operating room include pneumatic tourniquets, blood pressure cuffs, and stethoscopes, among others. Our study aims to investigate microbial colonization on reusable pneumatic tourniquets stored and used in the orthopedic department of our institution and evaluate the efficacy of the cleaning protocols employed. Methods Over a course of two weeks, 26 samples were obtained. A total of 14 pneumatic tourniquets were sampled preoperatively on Monday morning following the weekly cleaning protocol of soaking the tourniquets in sodium hypochlorite for 30 minutes while 12 tourniquets were cultured immediately following the postoperative cleaning protocol of wiping the tourniquet clean with a cloth soaked in sodium hypochlorite. Samples were cultured on MacConkey and sheep blood agar and incubated at 37-degrees centigrade for a total of 48 hours. Organisms were identified and colony count was documented. The analysis was performed using the Fisher Exact test on SPSS v23 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, US). Results All 14 samples obtained after being soaked in sodium hypochlorite for 30 minutes cultured negative. However, four out of 12 (33%) samples obtained after simply wiping the pneumatic tourniquet with a cloth soaked in sodium hypochlorite cultured coagulase-negative Staphylococci. The difference between the two was significant (p=0.002). Conclusion Postoperative tourniquets, wiped with a cloth soaked in sodium hypochlorite and ready to be used on the next patient, were found to be contaminated with coagulase-negative Staphylococcus. This species is notorious for causing surgical site infections following implant-related surgeries potentially through direct inoculation and cross-infections intraoperatively and in storage. Efforts to identify the relationship with postoperative surgical site infections need to be made to suggest more aggressive cleaning protocols.