Recent findings by University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers reveal a disconcerting prevalence of two lethal pathogens in respiratory patients at Maryland hospitals and long-term care facilities. The study focused on patients receiving mechanical ventilation support between March and June of this year. Approximately 31% of these patients were found to be hosts for Acinetobacter baumannii, a type of bacteria that can instigate infections in various areas including wounds, blood, urinary tract, and lungs. Moreover, nearly 7% of the examined patients, amounting to 482 individuals, were colonized by Candida auris, a fungal pathogen known for its rampant spread in healthcare environments and frequent resistance to standard antifungal treatments.
Leading the study, Dr. Anthony Harris, highlighted although a positive test for either pathogen doesn’t necessarily denote illness, the study nevertheless emphasizes the necessity for heightened infection control protocols across hospitals and nursing homes. The study, a pioneer statewide survey of all patients under ventilation, was made possible with the support of the Maryland Department of Health.
In recent years, both pathogens studied, A. baumannii and C. auris, have become growing concerns as emerging global health threats. In particular, C. auris cases have seen an alarming surge across the United States, leaping to 2,377 reported cases in 2020 from fewer than 500 in 2019. Within Maryland, 46 such cases were registered. A. baumannii, while present in the U.S. for more than a decade, has become persistently more antibiotic-resistant, epitomizing a broader antibiotic resistance problem that particularly plagues chronic ventilator units in long-term care facilities.
The study’s findings also flagged the pronounced vulnerability of patients in long-term care facilities, who were more likely to play host to the pathogens than patients in hospitals. Urgently asserting the need for further research and funding, along with interstate coordination to tackle the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the researchers call for a multi-pronged approach. Duly controlling antibiotic usage to avoid quick build-up of bacterial resistance, and restraining transmission once resistance has set in, are both mandatory measures.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately exacerbated the problem, leading to increased hospital visits, rampant prescribing of antibiotics, and contributing to an enhanced propagation of non-COVID pathogens due to shortages of protective gear. Research continues to seek solutions to this escalating issue, with focus on topics like the use of chlorhexidine-infused soap for preventing serious infections and mitigating the amount of antibiotic-resistant organisms in long-term care facilities.