Prevalence and Molecular Characterization of Carbapenem and Colistin-Resistance Genes in Clinical Strains of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> Isolated from Diabetic Patients

Introduction Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the important opportunistic nosocomial pathogens that are increasingly becoming resistant to many drugs including the drugs of last resort, carbapenems, and colistin. Methods The study involved the examination of clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa recovered from diabetic patients for the presence of acquired genes implied in carbapenem and colistin resistance. Results A total of 100 clinical isolates from diabetic patients' wound and sputum were investigated for their susceptibility to imipenem and colistin followed by phenotypic assay and resistance gene screening. The study revealed 27 sputum isolates being resistant to imipenem further confirmed by a modified Hodge test and 28 wound isolates were resistant to colistin. The resistant isolates of wound and sputum were found to possess bla OxA-48 , bla VIM , mcr-1 , and mcr-5 genes. The strains had a coexistence of carbapenem- and colistin-resistant genes. Conclusion Considering the fact that infection by such resistant isolates in diabetics could be frightening, clinical laboratories must employ rapid diagnostic methods to detect resistance which can aid in the treatment decision-making.