Antibiotic Resistance and Biofilm Formation in Gram Negative Bacteria Isolated From Endotracheal Tubes in Intensive Care Unit of a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Biofilm formation has been found to play a central role in many human infections in which antibiotic resistance is common. Bacteria can colonize and form biofilms on almost any surface, including natural and synthetic surfaces the present study was conducted with an aim to detect biofilm formation in ET tubes/ ET secretions received from ICU patients by microtiter plate method. In the present study a total of 85 isolates were obtained out of 400 samples. Among 85 isolates of gram- negative bacteria, maximum number of isolates were of K. pneumoniae (41.17%) followed by A. baumannii (40%), P. aeruginosa (10.5%), E. coli (5.88%) and B.cepacia (2.35%). All isolates were tested for antimicrobial sensitivity/resistance by Vitek 2 Compact system. All the isolates were further tested for biofilm production by microtiter plate method and optical density (OD value) was measured. Biofilm production was distributed by strong, medium, and weak. It is concluded that stringent hygiene protocols, routine tube changes and the use of antimicrobial coatings are crucial for prevention of biofilm development in ICU settings.