Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of bacterial pathogens in a tertiary care hospital in the Kingdom of Bahrain

Abstract EN

Background & objectives: Antimicrobial resistance leads to higher mortality rates, especially with the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR), extensively drug-resistant (XDR), and pandrug-resistant (PDR) bacteria.

Hence, current study evaluated the prevalence of MDR, XDR, and PDR bacteria among various clinical samples.

Methods: The study was conducted at the department of Microbiology from January–December 2017.

The bacteria were isolated and identified based on the conventional techniques, such as morphological characters and Gram-staining as well as the automated methods, such as Vitek analyzer.

Antibiotic susceptibility was evaluated using Kirby–Bauer disc-diffusion method and Vitek analyzer.

Based on the antimicrobial resistance pattern, isolates were categorized into MDR, XDR, and PDR.

Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel.

Results: Out of 1862 bacterial isolates analyzed, 61.6% and 38.4% were Gram-negative and Grampositive isolates, respectively.

Majority of the isolates were belonged to susceptible (65.2%) group, followed by MDR (30.8%) and XDR (3.9%) isolates group.

Among MDR isolates, both extendedspectrum β–lactamases and nonextended-spectrum β–lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (40%), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (16.4%), Methicillin-resistant S.

epidermidis (14.32%), and extended-spectrum β–lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (11.3%) were prevalent.

Among XDR isolates, Methicillin-resistant S.

epidermidis (68.7%), Methicillin-resistant S.

aureus (18.7%), and extended-spectrum β–lactamase-producing K.

pneumoniae (12.5%) were predominant.

Conclusion: Among all the isolates, E.

coli, K.

pneumoniae, Streptococci, Methicillin-resistant S.

aureus, and Methicillin-resistant S.

epidermidis were the most common drug-resistant isolates; however, no PDR isolates.

Isolates were predominantly procured from urine samples.

Further, the drug-resistant isolates were encountered exclusively in nosocomial infections.

The escalation of MDR bacteria can be reduced by antibiotic stewardship programme and implementing programs for hospital staff regarding hygiene compliance.