Bacterial profile and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of lower respiratory tract infection among patients attending selected health centers of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background Respiratory tract infection is one of the most important infectious diseases worldwide, and it is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients, especially in developing countries, and is usually contracted through air and by direct contact. Currently, antibiotic resistance among respiratory pathogens has seen a dramatic rise. In Ethiopia, there is limited information concerning lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) burden and antimicrobial resistance pattern. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess bacteriological-confirmed burden, profile, and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of bacteria that leads LRTI. Patients and methods An institution-based cross-sectional study was performed in selected health centers of Kolfe Keraniyo Subcity, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from May to July, 2018, on 240 patients. Sputum samples were collected using convenient sampling technique and inoculated onto MacConkey, chocolate, and blood agar. In addition, biochemical and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done. Data were entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 20. P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results Of 240 samples processed, 77 (32.1%) showed growth of various species of bacteria. Among those, Klebsiella pneumoniae [32 (39.5%)] was a frequently isolated organism, followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae [15 (18.5%)], and Escherichia coli [13 (16%)]. Gram-negative bacilli were highly sensitive to meropenem (98%), tobramycin (94%), amikacin (94%), ceftazidime (84%), and cefuroxime (76%) and resistant to ampicillin (83%), tetracycline (52%), ciprofloxacin (35%), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (33%). Conclusion K. pneumoniae and S. pneumoniae are the most predominant pathogens that contribute to LRTI. In addition, most isolates showed a high level of antibiotic resistance. Therefore, culture and susceptibility tests have paramount importance for better management of LRTI and drug-resistant infections.