Background: Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species (ESKAPE) pathogens are the leading causes of nosocomial infections throughout the world. So far, no large-scale study on ESKAPE pathogens has been conducted in India and there is lack of a deep insight regarding antimicrobial resistance.
Aims and Objectives: This study was conducted with the objective of estimating the prevalence of resistance to currently available antibiotics among the four Gram-negative pathogens – K. pneumoniae, A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species isolated from blood culture in a tertiary care hospital.
Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted using records of the microbiology department over a period of 2 years from January 2020 to December 2021. Individual susceptibility of the above-mentioned Gram-negative pathogens to each of the following antibiotics – trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, ceftazidime, cefepime, cefoperazone/sulbactam, ticarcillin/clavulanic acid, piperacillin/tazobactam, imipenem, meropenem, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, gentamicin, netilmicin, minocycline, tigecycline, and colistin was analyzed.
Results: K. pneumoniae showed the highest resistance to ticarcillin/clavulanic acid (78.8%) followed by ceftazidime (73.5%), whereas its maximum sensitivity was for tigecycline (54.5%). A. baumannii showed maximum resistance (91.1%) for three antibiotics-ciprofloxacin, imipenem, and piperacillin/tazobactam. The organism exhibited maximum sensitivity to tigecycline (69.6%). P. aeruginosa exhibited the highest sensitivity (75%) for both ceftazidime and cefoperazone/sulbactam, whereas it showed maximum resistance to tigecycline (97.5%). Enterobacter species showed maximum resistance (75%) for ceftazidime and cefoperazone/sulbactam and maximum sensitivity (87.5%) for tigecycline and carbapenems.
Conclusion: Updated knowledge regarding the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance will help in strengthening antimicrobial stewardship and encourage curtailing unnecessary use of high-end antibiotics.
Key words: Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species pathogens; Multidrug Resistance; Nosocomial Infections
|
