Project description:The increasing spread of drug-resistant bacterial strains presents great challenges to clinical antibacterial treatment and public health, particularly with regard to β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. A rapid and accurate detection method that can expedite precise clinical diagnosis and rational administration of antibiotics is urgently needed.
Project description:This study aims to determine the epidemiology of Enterobacteriaceae resistant to antibiotics of last resort in pregnant women in labour at a tertiary hospital, Pretoria, South Africa. Rectal swabs shall be used to screen for colonisation with CRE and colistin-resistant Enterobacteriales in pregnant women during labour. Carbapenem and colistin-resistant Enterobacterales can cause the following infections: bacteraemia; nosocomial pneumonia; urinary tract infections, and intra-abdominal infections. Due to limited treatment options, infections caused by these multidrug-resistant organisms are associated with a mortality rate of 40-50%. Screening for colonisation of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and colistin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae will help implement infection and prevention measures to limit the spread of these multidrug-resistant organisms.
