Evaluation of Biofilm Formation and Frequency of Multidrug‑resistant and Extended Drug‑resistant Strain in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated from Burn Patients in Isfahan

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a biofilm‑forming bacterium which can result in serious health problems, particularly in burn patients. Biofilm has been assumed to protect the bacteria from environmental fluctuations such as antimicrobial agent. Mucoid strains generate extensive levels of the alginate exopolysaccharide, which is an important factor of its biofilm.

Totally, 100 isolates of P. aeruginosa has been gathered from wound infections of burn patients. Polymerase chain reaction of exoA gene has been carried out to confirm the bacteriologic identification of isolates. The biofilm‑forming capacity has been specified by capsule staining and microtiter plate test as qualitative and quantitative determination, respectively. Antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates has been specified by disk diffusion method.

All the isolates carried the exoA gene. The antibiotic resistance was imipenem (90%); levofloxacin (93%); aztreonam (87%); piperacillin‑tazobactam (85%); tobramycin (92%); polymyxin b (PB) (2%); and ceftazidime (CAZ) (32%). Totally, multidrug‑resistant (MDR) and extended drug‑resistant (XDR) isolates were 19% and 75%, respectively. Fortunately, pan drug‑resistant (PDR) strain has not been observed. The assessment of biofilm formation has shown that 7% of the isolates were nonbiofilm (N), weak (W) 67%, moderate (M) 22%, and strong (S) 4%.

As a result, the findings of this survey indicated that PB and CAZ were the most effective antibiotics against P. aeruginosa, which of course indicate a serious problem about the emergence of the PDR strains. There was no relationship between the patterns of biofilm production and antibiotic susceptibility, but high frequency of MDR/XDR and biofilm producer strains has been detected.