Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Typing Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Isolates Recovered From Patients In The ICU.

Objective: This study was to determine the antibiotic susceptibility and RAPD types of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) and to reveal weather cross-infection occurs between the patients in ICU.Methods: The antimicrobial susceptibility test was carried out against various antibiotics through the disc diffusion method according to the CLSI recommendations; RAPD-PCR analysis was performed as described by Williams et al.Results: A total of 9 RAPD types were found among 48 isolates of PA recovered from 10 patients in ICU. Six patients had only a RAPD type each , four had two different RAPD types ,three groups had PA strains of the same RAPD fingerprint. Resistance rates of the 48 strains of PA were as follows: ciprofloxacin (75%), levofloxacin (73%), piperacillin/tazob-actam (71%), aztreonam (63%), and the lowest percentage was observed with memropenem (31%).Conclusion: There was no correlation between RAPD types and resistant phenotypes; cross infection was not identified by antimicrobial susceptibility testing; RAPD analysis is a rapid simple accurate method , in favor of surveillance of epidemiology and infection control.