Current State of Antimicrobial Stewardship and organ transplantation in Saudi Arabia

Opportunities for Antimicrobial Stewardship Interventions Among Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

Although antimicrobial stewardship programs have excelled over the past decade, uptake and application of these programs to special populations such as solid organ transplant recipients have lagged. Here, we review the value of antimicrobial stewardship for transplant centers and highlight data supporting interventions that are ripe for adoption. In addition, we review the design of antimicrobial stewardship initiatives, targets for both syndromic and system-based interventions.

Antibacterial Resistance Patterns Among Common Infections in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Saudi Arabia

Background

The rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria threatens the control of infectious diseases by reducing treatment effectiveness, prolonging illness duration, and increasing healthcare costs. This study aimed to identify the common rate of bacterial resistance against antibacterial agents in tertiary healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia.

Methodology

This retrospective cross-sectional observational study was conducted from May 2016 to December 2019 on 1,151 urinary tract infection (UTI) and respiratory tract infection (RTI) positive cultures collected from participants aged 15 years or older who received antibiotic treatment. The obtained variables included age, gender, diagnosis, antibiotic type, specimen source, culture results, and sensitivity test results.

Results

The most common bacteria in UTI were Escherichiacoli (46.7%), followed by Klebsiellapneumoniae (30.5%). Moreover, E.coli was most resistant to ampicillin (56.4%), followed by ceftriaxone (33.8%). Among the respiratory cultures, the most frequently isolated pathogen was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (28.5%), followed by K. pneumoniae (17.6%). The 162 respiratory P. aeruginosa isolates were most resistant to piperacillin/tazobactam (51.9%), followed by ciprofloxacin (25%) and ampicillin (10.6%).

Conclusion

High levels of antibiotic resistance were observed in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. This indicates a need for better implementation of antibacterial stewardship and increased awareness of appropriate antibiotic use to limit the rapid spread of antibacterial resistance.