Antimicrobial sensitivity trends and bacterial profile of bloodstream infections: A retrospective study

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to determine the bacterial profile of BSIs and to analyze the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of the isolated organisms in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Northwestern India. A laboratory-based retrospective study was conducted over a period of 2 months from March 2022 to April 2022 in the Department of Microbiology at a tertiary care teaching hospital. A total of 181 non-repetitive blood samples from clinically suspected cases of BSIs were processed using the BD BACTEC ™ FX40 automated blood culture system. Identification of bacterial isolates was performed using standard microbiological techniques. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method in accordance with the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. A total of 181 blood samples collected from BIS-suspected patients were 37 (20.44%), which showed positive bacterial growth. Gram-positive organisms (54.05%) were isolated more frequently than Gram-negative organisms (45.95%). Staphylococcus aureus was the most common Gram-positive isolate, and Klebsiella species predominated among Gram-negative isolates. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed good sensitivity of Gram- positive isolates showed high susceptibility to vancomycin and teicoplanin, whereas Gram-negative isolates showed higher susceptibility to colistin and Amoxyclav. The study demonstrates a predominance of Gram-positive bacteria as causative agents of BSIs along with the presence of significant antimicrobial resistance among isolates. Regular monitoring of local antimicrobial susceptibility patterns is crucial for optimizing empirical therapy, reducing treatment failure, and strengthening the antibiotic stewardship program.