Multi-drug resistant organisms are spreading resulting in community-acquired infections which are resistant to the latest generation of antibiotics, a new study has revealed.
As part of the retrospective study, the study analysed 201 patients of community-acquired infections and found that classically hospital strains which were drug resistant with high mortality are now spreading in public.
Conducted by the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH), the study's findings are worrying because the organisms carrying high mortality are resistant to the latest generations of antibiotics.
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The study - titled 'Association of high mortality with extendedspectrum -lactamase (ESBL) positive cultures in community acquired infections' - which has been accepted for publication in Journal of Critical Care stated that the 201 patients did not come in contact with any health facility in the last three months or more.
ESBLs are organisms resistant to various newer generation antibiotics and can be easily transferred in the community.
"The distinction between community-acquired and hospital-acquired infections is becoming increasingly blurred. The main reasons for this are the spread of classically 'hospital' strains, particularly resistant Klebseilla and E. Coli, into the community and vice versa, and the repeated admissions of individuals to hospitals with longstanding underlying diseases," said Dr Sumit Ray, author of the study and vice-chairman of critical care at SGRH.
In addition, the contribution of antibiotic resistance in the community through easily available antibiotics often used without medical supervision has resulted in an increasing reservoir of potential infections, Dr Ray said.
"The resistance to high end antibiotics by organisms contracted by patients in the community resulting in high mortality, seen in our study, is a cause for worry and needs further research and a proper action plan," he said.
According to the researchers, the striking point noted in the results is the emergence of E.coli as the most common bacteria in the community causing bacteraemia, respiratory and urinary tract infection.
They are also causing higher mortality in ESBL positive producers as compared to ESBL negative producers.
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