Alarming and increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa among healthcare-associated infections in China: A meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies

Yang Peng, Jing Shi, Tao Bu, Ying Li, Xiaohua Ye, Xiaofeng Chen, Zhenjiang Yao

A number of studies have reported on the prevalence of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDR-PA) among healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in China; however, the exact rate of MDR-PA is unclear due to different definitions. Therefore, this meta-analysis was conducted to explore the prevalence of MDR-PA among HAIs in China based on an international recommended standard. Medline, Ovid, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang databases were systematically searched and papers published before February 2014 providing exact data on MDR-PA in the Chinese population were identified. Overall effects, subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were performed using Stata v.13.0 software. Twenty-six studies were finally included. The overall prevalence of MDR-PA was 29.0% (95% confidence interval 24.6-33.4%). The rate of MDR-PA increased over time (P<0.001). The prevalence of MDR-PA was higher among patients in intensive care units (ICUs) (41.4%) than among non-ICU patients (24.1%) (P<0.001). In conclusion, the present meta-analysis comprehensively evaluated the prevalence of MDR PA in China and the findings suggest that MDR-PA should receive more attention.