Antibiogram pattern of isolated bacteria from bacteremia in hospitalized children – Bandar Abbas, Iran

Introduction: Presence of bacteria in blood is a serious cause of hospitalization, morbidity and mortality in pediatric. Microbial culture of blood samples is the most reliable technique to identify the responsible bacteria and determine antibiotic susceptibility. Extensive use of antibiotics and increasing prevalence of resistant organisms urged us to expand our knowledge about antibiotic sensitivity of organisms in every region to choose appropriate ones. The aim of the study was to determine the frequency and antibiogram pattern of isolated bacteria in pediatric blood culture. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, between April 2007 and March 2008, 919 children with suspicious bacteremia who were admitted to Bandar-Abbas Childrens' Hospital, were investigated. Clinical and microbiologic data of 124 children with positive blood cultures was collected and analyzed by SPSS 13.Results: The incidence of pediatric bacteremia was 6.46% with 10.48% mortality rate. Gram positive bacteria were the predominant isolates (78.2%), common being Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) (70.16%) and staphylococcus aureus (9.25%). Klebsiella (13.73 %) and E.coli (6.45%) were the major gram negative organisms. CoNS isolates were largely susceptible to amikacine (90%) and ciprofloxacine (81.6%). S.aureus isolates were 100% sensitive to cefotaxim and cephalexin. Conclusion: Bactermia is an important cause of morbidity and mortality at children. Our study highlights the importance of understanding the local epidemiology of pediatric bacteremia in formulating a rational antibiotics policy.