Bacteriological profile and antibiogram of blood culture isolates from a tertiary care hospital of North India

Abstract

Introduction: Blood stream infections cause a significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Rapid and reliable detection of bacterial pathogens and rational use of antimicrobials are required for proper management. The present work was undertaken to study the bacteriological profile along with the antibiogram of the blood culture isolates from clinically diagnosed cases of sepsis. Materials and Methods: During the 1-year study period, 3472 blood samples from patients with a clinical diagnosis of sepsis were received at the Emergency Microbiology Laboratory of a 2500-bedded tertiary care hospital of North India. Bacteriological identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were performed for all bacterial isolates by following the standard protocol. Results: Culture positivity was seen in 16.5% of the septicemic cases. The most common bacteria isolated were Escherichia coli (22.4%) followed by Klebsiella species (19.7%), Staphylococcus aureus (18.3%), and coagulase-negative staphylococci (17.4%). About 26.5% of S. aureus were methicillin-resistant. Vancomycin (100%), gentamicin (87.9%), and ciprofloxacin (73%) showed the highest activity among the Gram-positive isolates. Most of the Gram-negative bacteria were multi-drug resistant (67.1%). Imipenem (98.8%), amikacin (90.8%), and cefoperazone/sulbactam combination (81.1%) showed the highest activity among Enterobacteriaceae. Nonfermenters in majority were susceptible to imipenem (88.2%), amikacin (81.6%), and piperacillin/tazobactam combination (72.4%). Gram-negative isolates showed 100% sensitivity toward colistin. Conclusion: The present study highlights the bacteriological etiology of sepsis along with the antibiogram of septicemic isolates that may provide necessary information for the formulation of antibiotic policy in effective management of such cases.