Gastrointestinal infections in hospitalized patients before andduring the covid-۱۹ pandemic (۲۰۱۹-۲۰۲۲)

Background and Aim : In recent years, the covid-۱۹ pandemic as an outbreak of respiratorytransmitted disease with severe acute respiratory syndrome has affected various aspects of humanlife. In many countries, the management of the covid infections is a priority, and many otherinfectious diseases may have problems in accessing the usual medical services. On the other hand,improving the health level of society during the period of Covid-۱۹ can also be effective inreducing gastrointestinal infections. The aim of the present study is to investigate the prevalenceof gastrointestinal infections and the pattern of antibiotic resistance in patients referred toGanjavian teaching hospital during the ۴-year period (۲۰۱۹-۲۰۲۲) in Dezful.Methods : In this study, all of stool specimens were cultured on Gram negative broth, Hektoenenteric and MacConkey agar. Isolates were distinguished by biochemical tests ( TSI, Citrate, SIM,Urea agar and MRVP and Phenylalanine deaminase). The bacterial diagnostic was confirmed byserological tests ( Shigella, Salmonella, Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli). Then antimicrobialsusceptibility were tested according to CLSI guideline for Ampicillin(۱۰ μg), Ciprofloxacin(۵ μg),Nalidixic acid(۳۰ μg), Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole(۱.۲۵/۲۳.۷۵μg) disks.Results : There were ۱۵۱ pathogenic bacteria from ۶۰% male and ۴۰% female patients, ۸۳.۵% ofpatients were children ( ۶ months to ۱۲ years). The prevalence of gastrointestinal bacterialinfections were ۴۸(۲۹.۴%), ۳۴(۲۰.۹%), ۲۲(۱۳.۵%), and ۵۹(۳۶.۲%), during ۱۳۹۷ to ۱۴۰۰ years,respectively. The bacteria included ۱۳۳(۸۸.۱%) Shigella, ۷(۴.۶% ) Salmonella and ۱۱(۷.۳%)Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains. The most Shigella strains were ۶۳ S.sonnei, ۶۱S.flexneri, and ۹ S.dysentery. The coexistence of Shigellosis and intestinal protozoans, such asGiardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica and Blastocystis hominis was observed in ۲۱(۱۳.۹%)samples. The antimicrobial patterns of Shigella isolates showed that ۸۷.۴% were resistant toTrimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, ۸۵.۷% to Ampicillin, ۶۱% to Nalidixic acid, and ۱۰.۱% toCiprofloxacin.Conclusion : Our study showed that Shigella infection was the most common among thegastrointestinal infections studied during ۴ years. Although in ۲۰۱۹, the number of patients withgastrointestinal infections in patients hospitalized in our hospital decreased, but the frequency ofantibiotic resistance during these years before and during the covid-۱۹ pandemic did not show anysignificant change.

کلیدواژه ها:

Gastroenteritis ، Antibiotic resistance ، Covid ۱۹ ، Shigella ، EPEC ، Salmonella