Identification and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Blood Culture Isolates from Rajshahi, Bangladesh

Abstract

Purpose: As bloodstream infection is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, the surveillance study is required to continuously monitor the pattern of infection and antibiotic resistance. Our study aimed to detect the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of bacteria isolated from patients in Rajshahi, Bangladesh.

Subjects and Methods: This study was conducted over 2 years from January 2019 to December 2020 with a total of 1,367 suspected hemocultures of inward and outward patients in Rajshahi medical college hospital, Rajshahi, Bangladesh. The standard microbiological methods were used in this study.

Results: Out of overall 35% positive growth, 34% and 37% showed blood culture infection in the year 2019 and 2020, respectively. Females (55%) were found higher than males (45%). The patients were the highest in the age group 0-10 years (46%) but the number of infections rapidly decreased in the age 11-20 years (21%) followed by a gradual reduction of infection with the increasing age. All the infections were occurred due to single culture and E. coli was accounted as the most frequent infection (39.09%) followed by Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albican, Klebsiella pneumonia, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Salmonella spp., Streptococcus viridans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Higher sensitivity towards Cefepime, and Meropenem was demonstrated by both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bloodborne bacteria. A terrifying scenario was that a great number of those isolates showed resistance towards 4, 6, and more than 6 antibiotics, respectively.

Conclusion: Our local work on bacteriological profile and antibiogram might help to rationalize empiric treatment strategies.