Prevalence of Klebsiella Pneumoniae among Patients Attending Africa Inland Church Hospital Kijabe, Kenya

Abstract

Hospital acquired infections are a public health concern, particularly when the causative agents are multidrug resistant. Bacteria of genus Klebsiella frequently cause nosocomial infections in human. The most important medically involved is Klebsiella pneumoniae which accounts for a significant portion of hospital acquired urinary tract infections, pneumonia, septicemias and soft tissue infections. The modes of transmission of Klebsiella in hospitals are the fecal-oral route and the hands of healthcare workers. Nosocomial infections caused by multidrug resistant Klebsiella species, especially those in neonatal wards are often caused by strains of Klebsiella, for example extended- spectrum Betalactamase producers. The aim of this study is todetermine the prevalence of Klebsiella pneumoniae among patients in Paediatrics, NBU and Intensive Care Units..The clinical specimens which were used included; urine, aspirates, blood, cerebral spinal fluid (CSF), swabs of wound, device swabbing. The design was a prospective observational. Ethical approval was sought from the Kenyatta University ethical review committee and the Ethical committee in AIC Kijabe hospital as attached. The findings found that the total producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates were 21% (325/1553) of all collected over that period of one year. Out of the 384 study patients, 18 met these criteria giving the prevalence of Klebsiella pneumoniae at the AIC Kijabe hospital during the period of study to be 8.6% (95% CI: 9.4 %, 24.7 %).Proportion of nosocomial infections caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae in hospital acquired infections was 8.6% (28/325). There is sufficient evidence to suggest that Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated in patients is associated with nosocomial infections in AIC Kijabe hospita