Influence of antibiotic resistance of pseudomonas aeruginosa on presenting features of community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections

Aim: To evaluate the influence of resistant isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on presenting features for patients with community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). Methods: 95 hospitalized patients (67 men, 28 women, average age 66,7±10,9y) with community acquired pneumonia (CAP), bronchiectasis and exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were studied during a 5-year period. They were divided into two groups: with susceptible isolates, (n 1 =70, 73,7%, S group) and resistant to antibiotic testing, (n 2 =25, 26,3%, R group) and compared by sex, age, diagnosis, concomitant diseases, treatment, length of stay, outcome. Results: 14,7% of the patients had CAP, 46,3% - bronchiectasis and 40% - COPD. Most of them had concomitant diseases – ishaemic heart disease: S/R - 62,4%/62% resp., diabetes - S/R -11%/12% resp. We found differences in: the change of antibiotic treatment according to the microbiological results (8%S/36%R, p<0,005); length of hospital stay >15 days - 3%S/12%R respectively, p<0,05. Complications of the essential disease were more in the R group (2%S/4%R). The outcome was similar in both groups. Conclusions: The clinical features found in patients with resistant isolates of P. aeruginosa compared to susceptible ones were: more complications of the main disease, more frequent change of antibiotics during the course of treatment according to the microbiogical results and longer length of stay.