Purpose: Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strain, can become resistant to all classes of clinically available antibiotics and causes skin infections and severe infections in the lungs, heart, and bloodstream. The study aimed to evaluate antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and MRSA exhibiting multidrug resistance obtained through a microbiological culture of clinical specimens at Bac Ninh Provincial General Hospital in Bac Ninh Province, Vietnam. Methods: We employed a cross-sectional analysis at Bac Ninh Provincial General Hospital in Vietnam. 15,232 clinical samples from inpatients were examined. S. aureus isolates were identified using established protocols and tested for MRSA and antibiotic susceptibility. Data was analyzed using R software, with statistical calculations to assess associations between variables. Results: Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 417 samples (2.7%), with 77.2% being MRSA and 22.8% methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). Significant sources of MRSA were wounds (64.6%) and the surgical unit (50%) according to sample types and hospital wards, respectively. S. aureus showed high resistance rates, the highest being azithromycin (83.2%), and was fully susceptible to vancomycin. Among 294 multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains, the prevalence was 82.0% in MRSA and 18.0% in MSSA. Conclusion: The study highlights widespread antimicrobial resistance among MRSA isolates from a provincial hospital in Vietnam, emphasizing the urgent need for antibiotic surveillance, formulation of antibiotic policies, and preventive measures to tackle the increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant MRSA.

Purpose: At a teaching Hospital in Vietnam, the persistently high incidence of diagnosed wound infection poses ongoing challenges to treatment. This study seeks to explore the causative agents of wound infection and their antimicrobial and multidrug resistance patterns. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Microbiology, Military Hospital 103, Vietnam. Data on microorganisms that caused wound infection and their antimicrobial resistance patterns was recorded from hospitalized patients from 2014 to 2021. Using the chi-square test, we analyzed the initial isolation from wound infection specimens collected from individual patients. Results: Over a third (34.9%) of wound infection samples yielded bacterial cultures. Staphylococcus aureus was the most prevalent bacteria, followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Worryingly high resistance rates were observed for several antibiotics, particularly among Gram-negative bacteria. Ampicillin displayed the highest resistance (91.9%), while colistin and ertapenem remained the most effective. In Gram-positive bacteria, glycopeptides like teicoplanin and vancomycin (0% and 3.3% resistance, respectively) were most effective, but their use was limited. Clindamycin and tetracycline showed decreasing effectiveness. Resistance rates differed between surgical and non-surgical wards, highlighting the complex dynamics of antimicrobial resistance within hospitals. Multidrug resistance (MDR) was substantial, with Gram-negative bacteria exhibiting a 63.6% MDR rate. Acinetobacter baumannii showed the highest MDR rate (88.0%). Conclusion: This study investigated wound infection characteristics, antibiotic resistance patterns of common bacteria, and variations by hospital ward. S. aureus was the most prevalent bacteria, and concerning resistance rates were observed, particularly among Gram-negative bacteria. These findings highlight the prevalence of multidrug resistance in wound infections, emphasizing the importance of infection control measures and judicious antibiotic use.

Purpose: In a Vietnamese teaching hospital, this study examined the prevalence and patterns of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of common bacteria isolated from hospitalized patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs) between 2014 and 2021. Methods: From 4060 urine samples collected, common pathogens were isolated using quantitative culture on brilliance UTI Clarity agar and blood agar. Bacterial identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and multidrug resistance (MDR) classification followed standardized techniques. Bacteria with a frequency of less than 2% were excluded. Statistical analysis was performed using R software, with the chi-square test applied and significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Of 4060 urine samples collected, 892 (22.0%) had positive results for common infections. Gram-negative bacteria predominated (591/892; 66.3%), with Escherichia coli being the most prevalent (336/892; 37.7%). Enterococcus spp. (152/892; 17.0%) was the leading Gram-positive pathogen. Some antibiotics had significant resistance rates, especially in Gram-negative bacteria, with ampicillin having the greatest resistance rate (92.8%). Carbapenems and nitrofurantoin remained generally effective. Among Gram-positive bacteria, high resistance was seen for macrolides ranging from 85.5% (azithromycin) to 89.8% (erythromycin), and for tetracyclines, ranging from 0% (teicoplanin) to 85.2% (tetracycline). There was no resistance to tigecycline and teicoplanin, indicating their potential efficacy against multidrug resistance (MDR) bacteria causing UTIs. MDR rates were higher in Gram-negative bacteria (64.8% versus 43.5%), with Klebsiella pneumoniae having the highest rate (78.7%). Conclusion: This study underscores the urgent need for ongoing surveillance of AMR patterns in Vietnam and emphasizes the significance of efficient infection prevention methods, prudent use of antibiotics, and targeted interventions to combat antimicrobial resistance.

The aim of this study was to explore the impact of Agent Orange exposure for prostate cancer with a comparison of the prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels between a hotspot and a non-sprayed area. The study was conducted in Phu Cat district (hotspot) and Kim Bang district (non-sprayed), with a total of 101 men in the hotspot and 97 men in the non-sprayed area older than 50 years of age. About 5 mL of whole blood and a health status questionnaire were collected from each subject in August 2009–2011. The mean age of the subjects in the hotspot (68.0 years old) was significantly higher than that of those in the non-sprayed area (65.0 years old). No significant difference was found between the hotspot area (0.93 ng/mL) and the non-sprayed area (0.95 ng/mL) in terms of PSA levels. Likewise, this was not statistically significant after adjusting for age. The prevalence of high PSA levels (>3 ng/mL) did not differ significantly between the hotspot (14 men; 13.9 %) and non-sprayed area (9 men; 9.3 %). No significant difference was found between the hotspot area and the non-sprayed area in terms of occupation (farmer and others). In control subjects, no significant difference was found between the PSA levels in subjects exposed to Agent Orange and non-exposed subjects. Likewise, no significant difference was found between the PSA levels of combatants and civilians. The PSA levels were not significantly different between the hotspot and the non-sprayed area.

Scabies is a neglected tropical disease and represents a considerable global burden. Although consensus diagnostic criteria for scabies have been recently published, diagnosing scabies infestation remains challenging in clinical practice. We investigated the diagnostic utility of complete blood cell count (CBC) and CBC-derived ratios obtained at diagnosis in a set of 167 patients who are Vietnamese with confirmed scabies. These parameters were compared with those of patients with dermatophytosis (N = 800) and urticaria (N = 2023), two diseases frequent in Vietnam, which can present with similar skin manifestations to scabies and tend to pose a diagnostic challenge in vulnerable populations. Our analysis revealed that white blood cell, monocyte, and eosinophil counts were significantly higher among patients with scabies than the other two diseases. Similarly, the monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) and eosinophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (ELR) were significantly higher among patients with scabies. The optimal cut-off values to distinguish scabies from dermatophytosis and urticaria were 0.094 for ELR (sensitivity: 74.85%, specificity: 70.7%) and 0.295 for MLR (sensitivity: 52.69%, specificity: 73.54%). CBC, ELR, and MLR are low-cost and easily calculated parameters that may be helpful for the diagnosis of scabies.

Despite being a commensal bacterium, Cutibacterium acnes has been widely considered a major opportunistic pathogen due to its capacity for biofilm production and inflammatory induction, causing device-related, post-implant infections, and skin inflammatory diseases. In this study, we isolated and characterised the novel bacteriophage Cutibacterium acnes phage KIT09 as a potential antimicrobial candidate for the treatment of Cutibacterium acnes-related infections such as acne vulgaris and postsurgical infections. Subsequently, phage-resistant bacterial mutants were generated through phage KIT09 exposure and characterised. Wastewater samples were collected for the isolation of C. acnes phages, followed by their characterisation using C. acnes National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) Biological Resources Center (NBRC) 107605 (phylotype IA1). Resistant mutants were isolated after prolonged exposure of the newly isolated phage to host bacteria and then characterised. A novel C. acnes phage, designated KIT09, was isolated, demonstrating prolonged bacteriolysis lasting up to 96 h at a multiplicity of infection of 10, and exhibiting high thermal and pH stability. Following sustained selective pressure by phage KIT09, three phage-resistant bacterial isolates were obtained, forming smaller colonies than the wild-type strain, but maintaining a high phage adsorption capacity (>90% after 20 min). Whole-genome sequencing revealed 12 nucleotide mutations across five genes, including six non-synonymous substitutions. Three genes encoding a two-component histidine kinase, DNA processing protein A (DprA), and a ThuA-containing domain protein were mutated in all resistant isolates. Characterisation of the novel phage KIT09 demonstrated its robust lytic activity and environmental stability against C. acnes phylotype IA1. Isolated resistant mutants retained high phage adsorption, accompanied by recurrent mutations in genes encoding a two-component histidine kinase, DprA, and a ThuA-domain protein, suggesting the presence of alternative, CRISPR-Cas–independent resistance mechanisms in C. acnes.