Spectrum of bacterial isolates and their antibiogram in intensive care unit (ICU) of tertiary care hospital as a part of hospital acquired infection (HAI) surveillance

Abstract

Objectives The introduction of the study discusses the prevalence of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) as a common hospital-acquired infection worldwide. The specific goals of the study were to isolate and identify the organisms causing UTIs, and determine their antimicrobial sensitivity patterns. Material and methods A total of 150 consecutive urine samples were collected over a 24 month period from selected surveillance units Medical-Surgical ICU (MICU) Respiratory ICU (RICU) Pediatric ICU (PICU). Microbiological culture, subsequent bacterial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility test were performed for the positive samples. The prevalence of the causative agents was analyzed according to the patient’s gender and age group. Results A total of 45 uropathogens were isolated, with Enterococcus spp. being the most common at 33.3%. The study found that Nitrofurantoin antibiotic had the highest sensitivity at 77% against Enterococcus spp. The study also found that nosocomial infections lengthened hospital and intensive care unit stays, and during the surveillance period eight patients expired, who were infected by Enterococcus spp., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter spp. and Klebsiella spp. Conclusion The conclusion section of the study highlights that the study documented the pathogenic effect of Enterococcus spp., which was responsible for the majority of infections. This study may be useful for future studies to assess the genetic profile of the MDR gene of isolated microorganisms and to early assess the methods for detecting pathogenic organisms in clinical samples in order to save lives in critical care units. The study also suggests that Nitrofurantoin antibiotic was found to be the most effective against urinary tract isolates of Enterococcus spp.