Pseudomonas aeruginosaand the general hospital: a six-year survey

Abstract

The incidence of infections caused byPseudomonas aeruginosadid not increase significantly among general surgical and medical patients between 1967 and 1972, and the majority of such infections were trivial. Serious infections were virtually confined to the intensive care unit and the renal transplant unit, and were usually associated with major trauma, surgical mishap or immunosuppression. The majority of these patients had received prior antibiotic therapy. Persistent isolation ofPs. aeruginosafrom surgical wounds was often associated with severe intra-abdominal sepsis, and antibacterial therapy was commonly ineffective in these cases. Apparently susceptible patients did not necessarily acquire infection, though the organism was present in their environment. It is suggested that this may reflect a variation of virulence among environmental strains ofPs. aeruginosa, and that further study of this aspect may contribute to improved control of infection.