SPECTRUM AND ANTIBIOGRAM OF GRAM NEGATIVE BACILLI IN RESPIRATORY SPECIMENS OF ICU OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Abstract

Nosocomial infections are highly prominent in intensive care units (ICU), which are mainly due to the use of large numbers of invasive monitoring devices, endotracheal and tracheostomy tubes, in addition to patients’ factors including extremes of age, immunocompromised status, malnutrition, severe underlying disease, wide use of antibiotics and to a high incidence of cross infection. Due to this, ICUs in hospitals have become the hub of multidrug resistant organisms. A total of 157 specimens received from our hospital’s ICU were analyzed in our department over a period of one year, out of which 48 (30.5%) were culture positive. From 48 culture-positive specimens, 47 (97.9%) were gram-negative bacilli while only 01 (2.1%) was MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). Antibiotic resistance pattern of all the isolates was evaluated, with all isolates showing 100% resistance to Cefotaxime, whereas Tigecycline, Colistin and Polymyxin B were found to be 100% effective against all gram-negative bacilli. The most important factor for controlling antibiotic-resistant pathogens in the ICU is rigorous adherence to infection control guidelines and prevention of antibiotic misuse.