Prevalence of β-lactamase and antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the Arab region

Abstract

Background: Several studies in the Arab region have recognised the rate of nosocomial infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), which produce β-lactamase, and identified their emergence and prevalence in the region. This article reviewed molecular studies on these β-lactamase-producing P. aeruginosa during 2010–2018 in several countries of the Arab region in order to analyse the trend of rising prevalence of disease causing drug-resistant P. aeruginosa in the Arab region. Methods: Data from selected clinical studies during 2010–2018 on β-lactamase-producing P. aeruginosa in the Arab region were obtained from reliable scientific databases for analysis and evaluation. Results: Significant changes were found in resistance of P. aeruginosa towards certain antibiotics of the β-lactam class. There was an increasing trend in the occurrence of resistance genes in β-lactamase-producing P. aeruginosa. Conclusion: This review showed that there is an increasing prevalence of β-lactamase-producing P. aeruginosa in some countries in the Arab region. This is a major cause of concern as this implies that more and more instances of multidrug resistance are emerging in this area. This leads to an overall negative impact on health concerns and amounts to increasing difficulty in combating disease. It is recommended that awareness about antibiotic use and abuse be made a priority and measures to curb unchecked use of prescription antibiotics be put into place. Effective screening methods to detect cases of resistance at their onset may be developed.

Keywords

• Molecular
• β-lactamase
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• Arab region