Bacteriological Profile and Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Pathogens Isolated in Ventilator-associated Pneumonia – A Single-center Study

Abstract

Abstract Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the most common nosocomial infection in people receiving mechanical ventilation. VAP developed during the first 4 days of mechanical ventilation is early-onset, usually less severe, mostly caused by antibiotic-sensitive bacteria, and has a better prognosis. On the other hand, late-onset VAP develops five or more days after the initiation of mechanical ventilation, is caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens, and is usually associated with increased morbidity and mortality. VAP may be caused by a wide spectrum of bacterial pathogens that may be polymicrobial and are rarely due to viral or fungal pathogens in immunocompetent hosts. Methods: Data were collected retrospectively from case files of the medical records department corresponding to the identified clinical isolates. The study included a total of 143 ventilated patients of both sexes who were admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) and fulfilled the criteria of VAP as well as non-VAP. Results: A total of 102 patients suffered from VAP. The number of ventilator days was calculated to be 2940 days. With the estimated VAP cases to be 102, the VAP rate was calculated to be 34.69/1000 ventilator days. The commonly isolated organisms were Acinetobacter species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, which showed proportions of 39.5%, 28.1%, and 15.3%, respectively. Conclusion: Our study highlights the organism distribution, antibiotic susceptibility patterns, and the VAP incidence rate in our center. These findings, if replicated across centers, can potentially inform the management of VAP.