# Antibiotic Resistance to Pseudomonas Aeruginosa in the Saliva of Candidates of Bone Marrow Transplantation

## TL;DR

This study examines antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa from saliva samples of bone marrow transplant candidates, finding high resistance to certain antibiotics.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific antibiotic resistance patterns in Pseudomonas aeruginosa among immunocompromised patients, guiding more effective treatment strategies.

## Key findings

- Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed 100% resistance to Penicillin and Oxacillin in tested patients.
- Vancomycin demonstrated the highest effectiveness with 20% susceptibility.
- No significant correlation was found between resistance and patient age, gender, or disease type.

## Abstract

Opportunistic infections such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, colonized from the oral cavity, are common in candidates of bone marrow transplantation. Therefore, it is important to prescribe appropriate antibiotics for this group of debilitated patients.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the antibiotic resistance to Pseudomonas aeruginosa encountered in candidates of bone marrow transplantation referred to Imam Reza Clinic, Namazi Hospital, and Amir Hospital, Shiraz, Iran.

This cross-sectional study was performed on 30 patients with leukemia and lymphoma. To identify Pseudomonas species, saliva samples were collected and cultured in a blood agar medium. Considering the present therapies, we examined the antibiotic sensitivity of Penicillin, Oxacillin, Gentamicin, Tetracycline, Cefepime, Ciprofloxacin, Imipenem, Ceftazidime, Cefotaxime, Erythromycin, Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole, and Vancomycin. Statistical analysis was performed using
chi-square test (χ2) and SPSS software.
The p Value< 0.05 was considered significant.

In 10 patients out of 30 for whom Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found positive (33.33%), all cultures were resistant to Penicillin and Oxacillin (100%), followed by Trimethoprim and Sulfamethoxazole (80%). The best performance was seen by Vancomycin (20%). No correlation was found in terms of age, gender, and type of disease (lymphoma or leukemia) for antibiotic
resistance (p> 0.05).

It seems that Penicillin, Oxacillin, Tetracycline, Sulfamethoxazole have significant resistance to Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Further research on Gentamicin, Ceftazidime, Ciprofloxacin, and especially Vancomycin is recommended for effective antibiotic
prescriptions against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.