Prevalence and Antibiotic Sensitivity Pattern of Bacteria Isolated from Nosocomial Infections in Respiratory Intensive Care Unit of a Teaching Tertiary Care Health Facility

In India, nosocomial infections (NIs) in patients admitted to intensive care units are recognized as a significant problem. The rate of NIs is two to five times higher in intensive care units than that of the general inpatient population. The aim of the present study was to know the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of bacteria isolated from patients suffering from NIs admitted in Respiratory intensive care unit (RICU) of our hospital. The present study was designed to carry put prospectively for duration of two years (2008-2010). Hundred patients on mechanical ventilation of all age groups and sex admitted to RICU and suffering from NIs were included in the study. Various samples like endotracheal secretions, blood, urine, pus and post-operative wound swabs were collected aseptically and processed. Antibiotic susceptibility pattern of bacterial isolates was tested by Modified Stokes method. Environmental samples from various surfaces were collected periodically to assess the possible reservior of nosocomial infections. 184 (92.9%) gramnegative and 14 (7%) gram-positive bacterial pathogens were isolated. Most frequently isolated organism was P. aeruginosa 48/184 (26%). The second most common organism was Acinetobacter baumannii 42/184 (22.8%). Imipenem and meropenem were found to be most effective drugs as 78% and 72.1% gram-negative bacteria and 81.3% and 62.5% of P. aeruginosa strains were sensitive to these antibiotics respectively. Majority (98.4%) of the isolates showed resistance to three or more than three drugs. Regular monitoring of the resistance pattern of bacterial pathogens from ICU patients is needed to prescribe appropriate treatment.