ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY PATTERNS OF PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA CLINICAL ISOLATES AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN KATHMANDU, NEPAL

Abstract

Objective: Increasing number of reports had documented the continued emergence of resistance among P. aeruginosa strains to common antimicrobial drugs, world-wide. This study investigated the antimicrobial resistance patterns of P. aeruginosa clinical isolates obtained from hospitalized patients. Methods: Between January 2012 and June 2012, one hundred and forty-five strains of P.aeruginosa were isolated from different clinical specimens and fully characterized by standard bacteriological procedures. Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of each isolate was carried out by the KirbyBauer disk diffusion method as per guidelines of CLSI. Results: Majority of isolates of P.aeruginosa (120, 83.75%) were obtained from specimens of pus, sputum, urine and tracheal aspirates. The isolated pathogens showed resistance to amikacin (17.25%), ciprofloxacin (27.59%) and cefoperazone -sulbactum (34.48%). Resistance rates to Cotrimoxazole, piperacillin, ceftriaxone and chloramphenicol varied from 51.00% to 73.00%. All the isolates were susceptible to imipenem. 30 (20.69%) of P.aeruginosa isolates were multi-drug resistant. Conclusion: The results confirmed the occurrence of drug resistant strains of P.aeruginosa. Imipenem, amikacin, and ciprofloxacin were found to be the most effective antimicrobial drugs. It therefore calls for a very judicious, rational treatment regimens prescription by the physicians to limit the further spread of antimicrobial resistance among the P.aeruginosa strains.