A study of Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Bacteria Isolates in Blood Culture in septicemic Children in Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Sepsis in children is a life-threatening condition triggered by an infection. Most commonly, the infection is caused by bacteria. Antibiotic susceptibility patterns of bacterial isolates in blood cultures play a crucial role in the management of septicemia in children. Aim of the study: The aim of this study was to assess the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of bacteria isolates in blood culture in septicemic children. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Department of Paediatric, Dr. Sirajul Islam Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh, during the period from October 2021 to February 2023. Total 849 children aged less than 18 years with septicemia were included in this study. Result: The study involved 849 participants where majority were in the age group of 5 years or younger and with a near-even gender distribution. In this study, 10.1% tested positive for bacterial growth in blood cultures, with Pseudomonas (33.7%) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (22.1%) being most prevalent. Other organisms were also detected in varying proportions. The distribution of these organisms varied according to age and sex. Antibiotic sensitivity and resistance patterns were observed. A range of antibiotics showed different effectiveness, with varying levels of sensitivity and resistance against the bacterial isolates. Notably, Pseudomonas displayed considerable sensitive to cephalosporins (24.4%) and carbapenems (11.6%). Conclusion: The current study found that pseudomonas, staphylococcus epidermidis, and staphylococcus aureus were the most prevalent. Notably, a significant percentage of these bacteria displayed varying levels of antibiotic resistance, underscoring the challenge of managing sepsis in pediatric patients. These findings highlight the need for continuous surveillance of bacterial isolates and their resistance patterns.