Epidemiological profile of multi-drug resistant bacteria in pediatric intensive care unit

Multidrug-resistant bacteria are currently a major health problem in our hospitals and a current medical issue due to the morbidity and mortality it causes, especially in intensive care units. The objective of this study is to describe the epidemiological profile, frequency, and resistance status of multidrug-resistant bacteria in pediatric and neonatal intensive care units. We conducted a retrospective study at the microbiology laboratory of the Hassan II University Hospital in Fez in 2022, where we collected bacterial samples from these two units that identified a multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDR). We collected 1216 bacterial samples, of which 28% were positive, and among them, we found 148 samples that contained multidrug-resistant bacteria. Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) dominated, with only 4 resistant gram-positive cocci samples, and Acinetobacter baumannii was the most prevalent, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae. A high rate of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) was found in infants, estimated at 40% of all samples collected in neonatal intensive care, as well as a high rate of highly resistant isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii in pediatric intensive care. Multidrug-resistant nosocomial bacterial infections are dominated by bacteremia in neonatology and pneumonia in pediatric intensive care, and both are mainly caused by gram-negative bacilli. Knowledge of the bacteriological profiles and antibiotic resistance rates of such bacteria will allow for more tailored and targeted management in each hospital setting.