Drug-resistant bacteria spread in Bangladesh ICUs

Two studies by the Icddr,b (icddr,b) reveal that over half of ICU patients initially free from difficult-to-treat drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria acquire them during hospital care in Bangladesh — Dhaka Division, Bangladesh. The studies, funded by the United States — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and published in Microbiology Spectrum and Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control, analyzed 373 adults and 363 neonates at a tertiary government hospital. They found 48.5% of ICU patients colonized with resistant bacteria, 53% of initially free patients acquiring colonization, and over 90% mortality among those with culture-confirmed infections. A second study showed that a targeted infection prevention and control program in a NICU reduced bloodstream infections by 86% and mortality from 26 to 4 per 100 admissions. Researchers including Gazi Md Salahuddin Mamun, Fahmida Chowdhury, and Tahmeed Ahmed emphasize the need for strengthened infection control, hygiene, and antibiotic stewardship.