Species diversity of non-fermenting gram-negative bacteria selected from wound drainage of patients of a multidisciplinary hospital

Background: Non-fermenting gram-negative bacteria (NFGNB) pose a threat to the healthcare system. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the species diversity of this group isolated from the wound. Materials & Methods:For species identification during the research period, the MALDI-TOF method of mass spectrometry using the Microflex LT mass spectrometer was applied. As a result, from 2018 to 2022, 7610 microbiological studies were conducted, no microflora growth was detected in 2039 cultures, 1797 strains were isolated and identified in 1523 cultures. Findings: 261 cultures were found in monospecies; 34 cultures were represented by two or more strains of NFGNB; in 189 cultures, two or more genera of NFGNB were found together with another microflora; in 1039 cultures there was only one NFGNB representative as a part of a mixed culture containing another microflora. The following genera of NFGNB were most common (number of strains): Acinetobacter spp. (1002), Pseudomonas spp. (699), Stenotrophomonas spp. (52), Alcaligenes spp. (27), Achromobacter spp. (13), Burkholderia spp. (4). Within 5 years, an increase in the share of Acinetobacter spp. by 6.01% was noted; the share of Pseudomonas spp. decreased by 8.39%. Conclusion: Many rare species have been found, so it is obligatory to ascertain whether penetration into the wound was an accident or the consequence of acquiring new pathogenic properties previously not typical for these microorganisms. No microflora growth was detected in more than 26% of cultures, which requires measures to improve the efficiency of microbiological diagnostics.