BACTERIAL TRANSMISSION AND ANTIBIOTIC SENSITIVITY OF CAUSATIVE AGENTS IN PURULENT-SEPTIC COMPLICATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH A SEVERE COURSE OF ACUTE PANCREATITIS

Abstract

Introduction: Acute pancreatitis has emerged as a leading urgent abdominal condition, with a high mortality rate of up to 70% in cases of purulent-septic complications. The identification of specific causative agents during the infection stage of acute severe pancreatitis is challenging due to the various mechanisms by which pathogens can infiltrate parapancreatic fluid collections. However, early antibiotic prophylaxis is essential in the management of this patient population, considering the potential need for prolonged treatment involving multiple antibiotic rotations. This study aims at analyzing the changes in the microbial species spectrum responsible for purulent-septic complications in acute severe pancreatitis during the course of treatment. Methods: We investigated 174 bacterial cultures obtained from patients diagnosed with acute severe pancreatitis who were treated at the Surgical Department of M.V. Sklifosovsky Poltava Regional Hospital between 2015 and 2018. Among these cultures, 87 were obtained during the initial surgical intervention (39 after initial ultrasound-guided drainage and 38 during the initial open surgical intervention), and 87 were obtained during the course of treatment. Results: Among patients who underwent primary drainage of parapancreatic fluid collections, no aerobic flora was detected in 71.4% of cases, but subsequent bacterial cultures revealed microbial growth in 77.6% of patients. In patients who underwent open surgical intervention, pathological flora was detected in nearly all cases, both during the primary bacterial passage and in subsequent cultures. The species spectrum differed significantly between the primary and repeated bacterial passages. The initial cultures showed a predominance of gram-positive flora (S. epidermidis, Streptococcus spp., Enterococcus spp.), while repeated cultures demonstrated a notable increase in hospital-acquired strains and gram-negative flora (E. coli, Proteus spp., Acinetobacter spp.), along with a nearly three-fold increase in S. aureus. These findings have significant implications for selecting appropriate antibacterial agents throughout the treatment course. Notably, a substantial decrease in the sensitivity of multidrug-resistant strains to reserve antibiotics such as meropenem and trigecycline, by approximately 20%, was observed in subsequent bacterial studies. Conclusion: The microbial spectrum and antibiotic sensitivity of pathogens causing purulent-septic complications in acute severe pancreatitis undergo dynamic changes during the course of treatment. These findings underscore the importance of conducting repeated bacterial cultures and adjusting antibiotic therapy accordingly to optimize treatment outcomes.