A study conducted at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that infections in hospitalised patients may result from their own bacteria.
Despite maintaining strict hygiene protocols, many admitted patients suffer from conditions. In the US, nearly 1,00,000 people die every year as they develop infections after being admitted. The disease is not prevalent in the US alone but has gripped hospitals worldwide.
A surprising source of these bacteria has been identified by Washington University School of Medicine researchers: the hospitalised patients themselves. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can develop after sterile tubes, known as catheters, are placed into the urinary tract, even if germs are not initially visible in the bladder, the researchers found while studying mice.
These tubes are frequently used in hospitals to empty surgical patients’ bladders. According to the researchers, putting the tubes in the mice caused the bladder cells to release latent Acinetobacter baumannii bacteria, which then multiplied and caused UTIs.
The findings, released on January 11 in Science Translational Medicine, indicate that screening patients for latent reservoirs of harmful bacteria may enhance current infection-control strategies and aid in the prevention of fatal illnesses.
A. baumannii strains could still emerge even after sterilising the entire hospital, according to Mario Feldman, PhD, a professor of molecular microbiology and a co-senior author. Per the research group, cleaning is insufficient, and no one understands why. Patients may unknowingly bring the bacterium into the hospital with them, which has ramifications for infection management.
Mario Feldman suggested doctors could try to identify whether a patient is carrying any germs and treat him/her before surgery. This will lower the chance of acquiring any of these fatal illnesses.
Hospitalised patients are at serious risk from A. baumannii, which frequently causes UTIs in those using catheters, pneumonia in those using ventilators, and bloodstream infections in those using central-line catheters in their veins. Such infections are difficult to treat and have a high potential for death because the bacteria are notoriously resistant to a wide variety of medications.
Escherichia coli is the bacterium that most commonly causes UTIs in otherwise healthy individuals (E. coli). According to research, E. coli can remain dormant in bladder cells for months after a UTI appears to be under control before resurfacing to produce another infection.
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