Isolation and Identification of Acinetobacter Spp. from Various Clinical Specimen and their Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern in PDU Medical College, Rajkot, Gujarat, Western India

Abstract

Introduction: Up to 25% of healthy adults exhibit cutaneous colonization by Acinetobacter and are the most common Gram-negative bacteria carried on the skin of hospital personnel. They are opportunistic pathogens causes a number of outbreaks of infections but their predominant role is in intensive care units. Such infections are often difficult to treat because of widespread resistance to the major groups of antibiotics. Materials and Methods: Various samples were collected aseptically and transported immediately to the bacteriology laboratory. The pathogens were identified by standard laboratory procedures including Gram’s staining, motility, culture, colony characters and biochemical reactions. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by modified Kirby Bauer method as per the CLSI guidelines. Result: 128 (3.11%) Acinetobacter spp. were isolated from 4112 specimens. Out of these, 72 from general wards and 46 from ICU and 10 from opd. Males (59.37%) are predominant than females (40.62%). The isolates sensitivite to Meropenem (83.59%) followed by Pipracillin-tazobactum (66.41%), Tetracycline (58.59%). Maximum resistance was observed to Cefotaxime (93.75%) followed by Ceftazidime (92.19%) & Cefepime (89.06%). Conclusions: Acinetobacter are the “superbugs” of the modern hospital environment causing significant infections in specific patient populations, especially in patients of ICU which are prone to cause infections due to over use of broad spectrum antibiotics. Awareness to maintain good housekeeping, equipment decontamination, strict attention to hand washing, isolation procedures and control of antibiotic usage, especially in high-risk areas, appear most likely measures to control the spread of Acinetobacter spp. in hospitals.