Antibiotics Resistance Profile of Clinical Isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Obtained from Farwaniya Hospital in Kuwait Using Phenotypic and Molecular Methods

<b>Background/Objectives:</b> The World Health Organization has recognized <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> as a multidrug-resistant bacterium that presents public health concerns. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of MDR <i>P. aeruginosa</i> isolates along with their susceptibility profiles and determine the genetic basis of resistance. <b>Methods:</b> A total of 100 <i>P. aeruginosa</i> isolates were cultured on MacConkey agar with various specimens from patients admitted to ICUs and wards. Species identification was performed for each isolate using the VITEK^® 2 system. Each isolate was tested for susceptibility to specific antibiotics by the broth microdilution method. The resistance genes were detected by molecular methods, i.e., PCR and Sangar sequencing. <b>Results:</b> Among the 100 <i>P. aeruginosa</i> isolates tested phenotypically, 33 MDR <i>P. aeruginosa</i> isolates were detected. The aminoglycoside group of antibiotics showed the least resistance against <i>P. aeruginosa</i>, with increasing resistance to carbapenems and ciprofloxacin. The most prevalent detected genes responsible for resistance were <i>blaVEB</i>, <i>blaVIM</i>, <i>aac (6')-Ib</i>, and <i>qnr S</i>. DNA sequencing results for the MDR isolates showed that 14 isolates had Thr-83> Ile mutation in <i>gyrA</i>, and 12 isolates had Ser-87>Leu mutation in <i>parC</i> genes. <b>Conclusions:</b> We conclude that the low rates of resistance to certain antibiotics, such as amikacin and piperacillin-tazobactam, seem encouraging to be effective for the treatment of <i>Pseudomonas</i> infections. Furthermore, the prominent mechanisms of resistance to fluoroquinolones in clinical strains of <i>P. aeruginosa</i> include mutations in <i>gyrA</i> and <i>parC</i> genes. These findings highlight the necessity of molecular diagnostics in guiding therapy and the potential need for broader surveillance.