Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Bacterial Contaminants from a Tertiary Hospital in Kenya: An Urgent Call for Action Against the Global Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance

ABSTRACT Background Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) represent the most prevalent adverse event among patients in hospital settings. Contamination with pathogenic bacteria that are highly resistant in the hospital environment increases the risk of HAIs. Objective The antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns of hospital contaminants isolated from highly frequented surfaces in a tertiary hospital in Kenya. Methods A total of 62 swabs were collected from selected surfaces, equipment, and health workers’ palms in April 2020. They were cultured and bacterial contaminants were identified using standard microbiological procedures and their AMR patterns were determined using recommended laboratory assays. Results Of the 62 swabs collected, 61.3% (n=38) yielded bacterial growth, from which 46 bacteria were isolated. Swab positivity varied across the departments as follows: gynecology wards (78.6%), New Born Unit (NBU) (56.2%), Pediatric ward (61.9%), and Renal Unit (45.5%). Gram negative species comprised 86.96%(n=40) while Gram positive species comprised 13.04%(n=6). Of all the 46 isolates obtained, 36.96% (n=17) were positive for the resistance markers screened. Specifically, 10.9% (n=5) showed both extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL ) and carbapenem-resistant (CR) resistance, while 23.9%(n=11) were positive for ESBL production. The rest were non-resistant strains as shown by negative ESBL at 47.8% (n=22), methicillin sensitivity at 13% (n=6) and vancomycin sensitivity at 2.2% (n=1). Acinetobacter species which were most reported, had the highest resistance (36.84% (7/19). Conclusion There was a high prevalence of contamination with resistant pathogenic bacteria species. Acinetobacter species were the most common pathogen. Interventions are needed to mitigate the problem of resistant HAI.