Gut microbiota features and risk of acquiring antibiotic resistant organisms in nursing home patients

Nursing home patients are often vulnerable to colonization and infections caused by antibiotic resistant organisms. In addition to infection prevention measures within the nursing home setting, we hypothesized that clinical exposures during previous hospitalization also contribute to the elevated risk. Our results show that prior exposure to broad-spectrum antibiotics can lead to disrupted microbiota features which in turn increase the risk of acquiring enteric antibiotic resistant organisms. This finding indicates that hospitals and nursing homes need to take a coordinated approach to curb the spread of antibiotic resistance.

养老院患者常易发生耐药菌（antibiotic resistant organisms）介导的定植与感染。除养老院内部的感染防控措施外，本研究推测既往住院期间的临床暴露同样会加剧此类感染风险。本研究结果显示，既往暴露于广谱抗生素会导致微生物群（microbiota）特征紊乱，进而提升肠道耐药菌的定植风险。该研究结果表明，医院与养老院需采取协同防控策略，以遏制抗生素耐药性（antibiotic resistance）的传播。