Introduction:

Bacterial resistance is a multifactorial phenomenon, where scenarios other than the hospital setting have gained significant importance.

Objective:

To determine the presence of beta-lactam-resistant Gramnegative bacilli of clinical importance in wastewater from a highly complex hospital in Medellín, Antioquia.

Materials and methods:

A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out. Two wastewater samples were taken from two effluents from a highly complex hospital between November and December 2018. Bacteria were isolated from chromogenic agar, and subsequently, molecular PCR characterization of beta-lactamases of clinical importance was performed. Bacterial identification and susceptibility were determinate by automatized method.

Results:

Ninety isolates from hospital effluents were obtained, of which 78.90% (n=71) had at least one gene that encoded for ESBL or penicillinase; and 78.90% (n=71) at least one gene coding for carbapenemases. Citrobacter freundii was the predominant bacteria in the evaluated isolates (30% n=12), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (25% n = 10). In the isolates selected for susceptibility determination, all (100% n=40) were found to have multidrug resistance (MDR).

Conclusion:

The high presence of bacteria resistant to beta-lactams in wastewater from hospital, evidences the need to implement management strategies for these wastes, given the potential risk for the transmission and spread of resistant bacteria.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )