Multidrug Resistance of Bacteria Causing Enteric Infections in Patients with Arterial Hypertension at the Douala Laquintinie Hospital in Cameroon

Background and Objective: Hypertension is a worldwide public health problem. Numerous studies have shown the links between hypertension and bacterial infections. The imbalance of intestinal microbiota observed in hypertensive patients exposes them to bacterial infections resistant to several antibiotics. This study aims to determine the resistance profile of pathogenic enterobacteria in hypertensive and non-hypertensive patients at the Laquintinie Hospital in Douala (Cameroon). Materials and Methods: Stool samples from 327 hypertensive patients and 191 non-hypertensive patients, suffering from enteric disorders were collected to isolate pathogenic intestinal bacteria using selective and differential culture media. Their susceptibility profile was determined by the antibiogram. The statistical analyses were performed using Epi Info^TM software version 7.2.4. The Chi-square test was used to compare the frequencies of multidrug-resistant enterobacteria in hypertensive and non-hypertensive patients. The relationship between resistance profile and hypertension was performed using the visual dashboard test. Results: The frequency of hypertension was higher in women (60.24%) than in men (39.76%). All bacteria were isolated predominantly from hypertensive patients who have undergone antihypertensive treatment. The antimicrobial susceptibility test revealed thatthe resistance of K. pneumoniae, P. mirabilis and Proteus vulgarisisolates to AMC, SXT a nd multidrug resistance of K. pneumoniae (p = 0.033) and K. oxytoca (p = 0.001) was significantly higher in hypertensive than non-hypertensive patients. Conclusion: These results underline the need for the prevention and management of enteric infections in hypertensive patients.