ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Infectious Diseases: Epidemiology and Prevention
This article is part of the Research TopicConfronting Antimicrobial Resistance: Trends, Interventions, and Socio-Economic ImpactsView all 4 articles
Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Infections and Their Clinical Impact at the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali in Rwanda: A Retrospective Descriptive-Analytical Study
Provisionally accepted
JEAN BOSCO MUNYEMANA1,2*
Nadine Nyishimente1Samuel Rutare2Aline Nishimwe1Yves Kundwa1Daniel Manirakiza1Angelique Dusabe2Francois Xavier Ndayambaje1- 1University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- 2University Teaching Hospital of Kigali, Kigali, Rwanda
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Introduction: Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections pose a serious global health threat, particularly in low-resource settings where empirical antibiotic use is common, leading to poor outcomes and increased resistance. This study evaluated the prevalence, resistance profiles, clinical impact, and treatment options for MDR bacterial infections at the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali, Rwanda. Methods: A retrospective descriptive-analytical study reviewed patient records and microbiology logbooks for culture-confirmed MDR infections from 1st January to 31st December 2023. Data were analyzed using SPSS, with significance set at p<0.05. Results: Out of 1,676 positive cultures, 368 (21.9%) were MDR cases, mostly from surgical patients (30.4%). Urine samples yielded the majority of MDR isolates (52.2%), with Escherichia coli as the most common (45.4%), particularly in urine (71.3%). MDR isolates showed high resistance rates to ampicillin, doxycycline (100%), third-generation cephalosporins (98%), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (96%), clindamycin (88%), and ciprofloxacin (74%). Resistance was lowest against amikacin (6%), vancomycin (14%), imipenem (24%), and polymyxin B (26%). The mean hospital stay was 8.6 days, and the mortality rate was 22% among patients with MDR bacterial infection. Conclusions: MDR bacterial infections were prevalent with longer hospital stays and poor outcomes. Despite high resistance to common antibiotics, amikacin, vancomycin, imipenem, and polymyxin B were effective treatment options. Continuous surveillance, antimicrobial stewardship, and treatment guideline development are crucial. Discussion: The global rise in antimicrobial resistance is a major public health threat requiring local surveillance for targeted interventions and guideline creation. This study at the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali found a 21.9% prevalence of MDR infections, reflecting global trends. Strengthening infection prevention and control and antimicrobial stewardship programs is needed to break transmission chains and optimize antimicrobial use.
Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, cre, ESBL, length ofhospital stay, MRSA, Multidrug-resistant
Received: 08 Sep 2025; Accepted: 03 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 MUNYEMANA, Nyishimente, Rutare, Nishimwe, Kundwa, Manirakiza, Dusabe and Ndayambaje. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: JEAN BOSCO MUNYEMANA
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