Bacteriological profile and antibiogram of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with respiratory tractinfections at a tertiary care Hospital

Abstract

Chronic respiratory diseases account for 4 million deaths annually, and it is one of the most common health issues globally. The present study aims to determine bacterial isolates and their sensitivity pattern as the emergence of antibiotic resistance in the frequently isolated pathogens has complicated the use of empiric therapy with traditional agents. BAL fluid samples of patients with respiratory infections undergoing bronchoscopy in KIMS Hospital, Amalapuram, were collected under aseptic conditions and processed according to standard protocol over 15 months, from July 2018 to October 2019. The antimicrobial susceptibility was tested by the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method as per CLSI guidelines. Out of 135 samples, 52(58%) were positive for growth. Of these, 49 were bacterial isolates, and 3 were fungal isolates. The highest isolation rate was observed in the 51-60 yrs age group followed by 61-70 yrs. The common organisms isolated were GNB, predominant being Klebsiella pneumoniae 30(61%), followed by Pseudomonas 15(30%) and E.coli 4(8%). Resistance to allcephalosporins and sensitivity to amikacin followed by piperacillin-tazobactam and other aminoglycosides were noted.BAL has improved sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of respiratory infections. An updated antibiogram and monitoring of bacterial isolates and other susceptibility is attributed to antibiotic resistance and the changing pattern of bacterial pathogens.