Antibiotic Use and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Common Environmental Bacterial Species in the Intensive Care Unit at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda

This study shows that ICU surfaces at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital are heavily contaminated with bacteria, with 94% of sampled high-touch areas testing positive, yielding a mix of Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms—including common pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella spp., and Escherichia coli. Many isolates exhibited antimicrobial resistance to commonly used antibiotics, consistent with the frequent use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in the ICU. Although no direct link to patient infections was established, the findings underscore that the hospital environment can act as a reservoir for resistant pathogens, highlighting the urgent need for stronger infection prevention and control, routine microbiological surveillance, and improved antimicrobial stewardship—particularly in resource-limited settings.