Invasive Infection and Outcomes in a Humanitarian Surgical Burn Program in Haiti

Prevalence of MDR bacteria in an acute trauma hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti: a retrospective analysis from 2012 to 2018

Background

Antibiotic resistance (ABR) is recognized as an increasing threat to global health. Haiti declared ABR an emerging public health threat in 2018, however, the current surveillance system is limited. We described the microbiological data from a Médecins Sans Frontières trauma hospital, to increase knowledge on ABR in Haiti for similar facilities.

Methods

A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of routine microbiological data of samples taken from patients admitted to the inpatient ward or followed up in the outpatient clinic of the trauma hospital from March 2012 to December 2018. Resistance trends were analysed per isolate and compared over the 7 year period.

Results

Among 1742 isolates, the most common samples were pus (53.4%), wound swabs (30.5%) and blood (6.9%). The most frequently detected bacteria from these sample types were Staphylococcus aureus (21.9%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (20.9%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (16.7%). MDR bacteria (32.0%), ESBL-producing bacteria (39.1%), MRSA (24.1%) and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) species (2.6%) were all detected. Between 2012 and 2018 the number of ESBL isolates significantly increased from 3.2% to 42.9% (P = 0.0001), and resistance to clindamycin in MSSA isolates rose from 3.7% to 29.6% (P = 0.003). Two critical WHO priority pathogens (ESBL-producing CRE and carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa) were also detected.

Conclusions

Over a 7 year period, a high prevalence of MDR bacteria was observed, while ESBL-producing bacteria showed a significantly increasing trend. ABR surveillance is important to inform clinical decisions, treatment guidelines and infection prevention and control practices.

Antibiotic-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in Low-Income Countries (2000-2020): Twenty-One Years and Still below the Radar, Is It Not There or Can They Not Afford to Look for It?

Acinetobacter baumannii is an emerging pathogen, and over the last three decades it has proven to be particularly difficult to treat by healthcare services. It is now regarded as a formidable infectious agent with a genetic setup for prompt development of resistance to most of the available antimicrobial agents. Yet, it is noticed that there is a gap in the literature covering this pathogen especially in countries with limited resources. In this review, we provide a comprehensive updated overview of the available data about A. baumannii, the multi-drug resistant (MDR) phenotype spread, carbapenem-resistance, and the associated genetic resistance determinants in low-income countries (LIICs) since the beginning of the 21st century. The coverage included three major databases; PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Only 52 studies were found to be relevant covering only 18 out of the 29 countries included in the LIC group. Studies about two countries, Syria and Ethiopia, contributed ~40% of the studies. Overall, the survey revealed a wide spread of MDR and alarming carbapenem-resistance profiles. Yet, the total number of studies is still very low compared to those reported about countries with larger economies. Accordingly, a discussion about possible reasons and recommendations to address the issue is presented. In conclusion, our analyses indicated that the reported studies of A. baumannii in the LICs is far below the expected numbers based on the prevailing circumstances in these countries. Lack of proper surveillance systems due to inadequate financial resources could be a major contributor to these findings.

AMR in low-resource settings: Médecins Sans Frontières bridges surveillance gaps by developing a turnkey solution, the Mini-Lab

BACKGROUND

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), data related to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are often inconsistently collected. Humanitarian, private and non-governmental medical organizations (NGOs), working with or in parallel to public medical systems, are sometimes present in these contexts. Yet, what is the role of NGOs in the fight against AMR, and how can they contribute to AMR data collection in contexts where reporting is scarce? How can context-adapted, high-quality clinical bacteriology be implemented in remote, challenging and underserved areas of the world?

OBJECTIVES

The aim was to provide an overview of AMR data collection challenges in LMICs and describe one initiative, the Mini-Lab project developed by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), that attempts to partially address them.

SOURCES

We conducted a literature review using PubMed and Google scholar databases to identify peer-reviewed research and grey literature from publicly available reports and websites.

CONTENT

We address the necessity of and difficulties related to obtaining AMR data in LMICs, as well as the role that actors outside of public medical systems can play in the collection of this information. We then describe how the Mini-Lab can provide simplified bacteriological diagnosis and AMR surveillance in challenging settings.

IMPLICATIONS

NGOs are responsible for a large amount of healthcare provision in some very low-resourced contexts. As a result, they also have a role in AMR control, including bacteriological diagnosis and the collection of AMR-related data. Actors outside the public medical system can actively contribute to implementing and adapting clinical bacteriology in LMICs and can help improve AMR surveillance and data collection.

Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in healthcare facilities in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

OBJECTIVES

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a leading cause of opportunistic infections worldwide, particularly in healthcare settings, and frequently demonstrates resistance to commonly prescribed antimicrobials. Carbapenem resistance is prevalent worldwide, however there are currently limited data available from Haiti. The aim of this study was to characterise and document this phenotype in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to further inform the need for appropriate infection control, empirical treatment guidelines and laboratory screening measures, both in Haiti and globally.

METHODS

A total of 50 P. aeruginosa isolates were characterised by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing, of which 8 isolates were also subjected to whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to identify potential genetic correlations of phenotypic resistance.

RESULTS

By MLST, 23 sequence types (STs) were identified, including 13 new STs. Nineteen isolates belonged to a single, previously characterised ST (ST654), all of which demonstrated a multidrug-resistant phenotype, including resistance to meropenem, imipenem and ceftazidime; two isolates were also resistant to colistin. WGS revealed the presence of genes encoding several previously characterised resistance determinants in ST654; notably ACC(6')-Ib3-cr and GES-7. Metallo-β-lactamase genes (bla_VIM-5) were also detected in three isolates.

CONCLUSION

These findings confirm that drug-resistant clones of P. aeruginosa are present in Haiti, supporting the need for appropriate screening and control measures and confirming that drug-resistant micro-organisms pose a global threat. Further investigations are required to guide appropriate antimicrobial prescribing in this region.