Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Laboratory identification

• Gram-negative bacillus
• small
• strict aerobe
• non-fermenter

Colonises

• ubiquitious
• water
• soil
• rotting organic matter

Diseases

• skin infections
  • burns
• pulmonary infections (esp in cystic fibrosis)
• urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• external otitis
• eye infections (associated with contaminated contact lens solutions)
• bacteraemia
• endocarditis (drug abuse)

Treatment

• combination therapy
  • beta-lactam + aminoglycoside

• Sensitive to

  • polymixin

  • gentamicin

  • netilmycin

  • piperacillin -used in combination with aminoglycosides

  • azlocyclin - used in combination with aminoglycosides

  • ceftazidime

  • ciprofloxacin

  • imipenem

Resistance

• beta-lactamases
• aminoglycoside - acetylation
• chloramphenicol - hydrolysis
• Fluoroquinolones - altered target

• ampicillin

• sulphonamides

• trimethoprim

• tetracycline

• most cephalosporins

• streptomycin

• kanamycin