| dc.description.abstract | Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a significant pathogen in surgical site infections (SSIs)
due to its diverse virulence factors and high antibiotic resistance. It is important to
understand its prevalence, resistance profiles, genotypic diversity, and physiological
attributes in order to formulate effective treatment and infection control strategies.
The objective of the investigation was to ascertain the prevalence of P. aeruginosa
among bacterial isolates from surgical sites, evaluate the antibiotic resistance profiles
of these isolates, assess their genotypic diversity, and determine major physiological
characteristics that contribute to their pathogenicity. Standard microbiological
techniques were employed to confirm the presence of P. aeruginosa isolates among
the 128 bacterial isolates collected and identified from surgical sites. The disc
diffusion method was employed to conduct antibiotic susceptibility testing. Sequence
typing and phylogenetic analysis were employed to investigate genotypic diversity.
Protease secretion, motility, exoprotein production, pigment production, and quorum
sensing (QS) activity were evaluated to ascertain their contribution to virulence. In
order to identify resistance patterns and ascertain the susceptibility of isolates to a
variety of antibiotics, a statistical analysis of antibiotic resistance data, including
MIC values, was performed. The genetic relationships among the isolates were
revealed through the construction of phylogenetic trees using sequence typing data.
Categorical variables were investigated using chi-square analysis, with a significance
level of P<0.05. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to identify
clustering patterns associated with biofilm formation and QS activity, and
physiological data were analysed to compare the virulence characteristics of various
isolates. P. aeruginosa was identified as the most prevalent bacterium, accounting
for 38.9% of the isolates. The antibiotic susceptibility testing demonstrated
significant multidrug resistance, with resistance rates of 60.7% for Ceftazidime,
60.7% for Ciprofloxacin, and 71.4% for Amikacin. Meropenem demonstrated the
maximum sensitivity, with a value of 53.6%. Genotypic analysis revealed substantial
diversity, including multiple sequence types (STs) and distinct phylogenetic clusters,
which suggest both genetic variability and clonal dissemination. Physiological
evaluations demonstrated that protease secretion, motility, exoprotein production,
and QS activity were subject to variation, with certain isolates exhibiting heightened
pathogenic potential. The study emphasises the high prevalence and multidrug
resistance of P. aeruginosa in surgical site infections, as well as the significant
genotypic diversity and complex physiological traits that contribute to its
pathogenesis. These results underscore the necessity of enhanced infection control,
targeted antibiotic stewardship, and ongoing research into innovative therapeutic
strategies to effectively manage P. aeruginosa infections. | en_US |
