Perfil de frequência e resistência antimicrobiana de patógenos E.S.K.A.P.E. isolados de amostras clínicas em hospital de referência no Rio Grande do Norte

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance is a major threat to global public health, exacerbated by the indiscriminate use of antibiotics and flawed control measures in hospital settings. This study aimed to analyze the epidemiological profile and resistance patterns of bacterial isolates from the E.S.K.A.P.E. group — Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp. — from clinical samples collected at a referral hospital for infectious diseases in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The E.S.K.A.P.E. group is composed of microorganisms frequently associated with hospital-acquired infections and known for their ability to develop multiple antimicrobial resistance mechanisms. Fifty-three samples were analyzed between September 2024 and May 2025. They were transported weekly to the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) using swabs containing Stuart's medium. Bacterial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were performed using the VITEK 2 Compact® automated system. The data obtained were organized into tables, allowing analysis of species frequency, anatomical collection sites, and resistance profiles. A predominance of non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli was observed, with P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii, individually responsible for 38.5% of the isolates. A high frequency of multidrug resistance was observed, mainly to beta-lactam classes, with only two isolates not classified as multidrug-resistant. These findings reinforce the need for microbiological surveillance, rational use of antimicrobials, and effective measures to prevent and control Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs).