Eskape em textêis hospitalares: isolamento, identificação e perfil epidemiológico

Abstract

The ESKAPE group of bacteria are the pathogens responsible for the largest number of deaths worldwide. Their ability to develop resistance to available treatments, combined with the colonization of textiles in hospital environments—such as uniforms, towels, and bed linens—poses a significant public health problem, especially for individuals in intensive care. Therefore, this study aimed to isolate and identify bacteria of the species Enterococcus faecium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp. present in samples from hospital laundries and to measure their resistance profile. Nine textile samples, both sanitized and unsanitized, were collected from hospital laundries in the surgical sector. Microbiological quantification (CFU/mL) was performed through serial dilutions up to 10⁻⁸ and cultivation on Plate Count Agar (PCA). For the isolation of microorganisms from the ESKAPE group, we used serial dilutions up to 10⁻⁵, filtration through sterile membranes, and inoculation on selective chromogenic media (KPC and ESBL), with and without the addition of antibiotics. Ultimately, 19 typical and resistant colonies were selected for identification and antimicrobial susceptibility profile analysis using the VITEK® 2 COMPACT automated system. The results were interpreted according to the BrCAST guidelines and analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA with GraphPad software. The data obtained indicated that the washing process was effective in reducing the microbial load, but with residual growth detected in 50% (1/2) of the clean samples. In the soiled fabrics, the main microorganisms found were P. aeruginosa, E. coli, and the A. baumannii and E. cloacae complexes. Among the isolates, 26.3% (5/19) were classified as multidrug-resistant, with notable resistance to β-lactams, which reached 68.4% (13/19) of the analyzed bacteria. These findings serve as preliminary evidence of the persistence of pathogenic and resistant bacteria on sanitized textiles. This suggests the need for improved washing protocols and continuous surveillance, while studies with a larger sample size are necessary to validate and expand on these observations.