Nosocomial blood-stream infections from extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia from GB Pant Hospital, New Delhi.

BACKGROUND Nosocomial septicemia due to extended spectrum beta-(Beta)-lactamase (ESBL) producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli are a therapeutic challenge due to resistance. Knowledge of disease burden and resistance patterns is required for proper and timely management. We report the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of ESBL producing E. coli and K .pneumoniae from septicemia at a tertiary care hospital. METHODOLOGY A total of 2,870 blood samples of suspected cases of septicemia were studied between January and December 2009. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by Kirby Bauer's disc diffusion method and MICs for imipenem, meropenem, and ertapenem were determined using the E-test. All isolates of E. coli and K. pneumoniae were tested for ESBL production by E-test method. RESULTS Forty-one (70.7%) K. pneumoniae isolates and ten (41.7%) E. coli isolates were ESBL producers. Two (5%) of ESBL producing K. pneumoniae isolates, but no E. coli isolates, were resistant to carbapenems. In vitro, all ESBL producers were sensitive to tigecycline. CONCLUSION Our data indicated that the prevalence of ESBL-producing E. coli and K. pneumonia strains isolated from blood cultures from hospitalized patients is high. ESBL-producing organisms were found to be more susceptible to meropenem than to imipenem and ertapenem. Tigecycline is active against all the ESBL or multidrug resistant (MDR) E. coli and Klebsiella spp. isolates.