Bacteriological Profile and Antibiogram of Aerobic Blood Culture Isolates among Suspected Blood Stream Infections: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Bloodstream Infections (BSIs) are important causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Blood culture is the most important diagnostic tool for BSI. The epidemiology and outcome of BSI are constantly changing due to increasing antimicrobial resistance, changing patterns of antibiotic drug usage, and the increased use of transient or permanent medical devices. Thus, regular monitoring of the bacterial aetiology of BSI and their antibiograms is necessary. Aim: To determine the bacteriological profile and antibiotic susceptibility patterns among suspected BSI patients. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was carried out in the Department of Microbiology, Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS), Imphal, Manipur, India, from September 2018 to August 2020. A total of 481 suspected BSI patients were included in the study. The blood culture samples were collected under aseptic conditions and cultured for seven days. The isolates were identified using conventional biochemical tests, and the antibiotic susceptibility pattern was determined by the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method and the epsilometer test (E-test). Methicillin resistance among the staphylococcal isolates was detected using the cefoxitin disk diffusion method. Data analysis was performed using EpiInfoTM version 7.0, and the Chi-square test was used as a statistical test. Results: A total of 150 (31.2%) blood samples were culture positive out of the 481 samples processed from suspected BSI patients. The predominant isolates were gram-positive, accounting for 113/150 (75.3%), while gram-negatives accounted for 37/150 (24.7%). Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Coagulase Negative Staphylococci (CoNS) were the primary pathogens isolated. Methicillin resistance was detected in 59 (54.6%) of the staphylococcal isolates {52 (54.7%) were Methicillin Resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and out of the 13 CoNS isolates, 7 (53.9%) were Methicillin Resistant CoNS (MRCoNS)}. The most susceptible drugs for gram-positives were vancomycin and linezolid, while aminoglycosides and imipenem were the most susceptible drugs for gram-negatives. Conclusion: The study highlighted the prevalence and pattern of aerobic bacterial isolates in BSI cases at JNIMS Hospital, as well as, the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the isolates. Regular epidemiological studies of BSIs, regarding the pathogens and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns, are necessary to guide clinicians in choosing appropriate empirical therapy and to update the hospital antibiotic policy from time to time. This promotes rational antibiotic use and reduces resistance among bacteria.