A Study of Aerobic Bacterial Isolates and their Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern from Pus Samples in a Tertiary Care Hospital, Rajasthan

ABSTRACT

Background: Aerobic bacteria are the major cause of pyogenic infections characterized by local and systemic inflammation and pus formation. Different studies show that bacterial profile of pus samples and their antimicrobial sensitivity pattern shows many variations. Emergence of antimicrobial drug resistance has made the treatment of pyogenic infections difficult. Pus culture and sensitivity testing done prior to start antibiotic therapy help in right approach towards selection of antibiotic and treatment. Methods: A study was conducted in Department of Microbiology of a private tertiary care hospital in Udaipur, Rajasthan from August 2017 to January 2018. Total of 240 pus samples were analyzed for aerobic culture and sensitivity. Processing and identification was done as per standard guidelines. Antibiotic sensitivity testing was performed by Kirby Baur disc diffusion method. Results: In our study, out of 240 pus samples sent from various departments, 160 (66.6%) were positive for bacterial growth. Commonest isolate was Staphylococcus aureus, followed by Pseudomonas species, E. coli, Klebsiella species, Enterococcus species, either alone or in mixed growth. All Staphylococcus aureus were sensitive to Vancomycin and Linezolid. For Pseudomonas species, effective drugs were piperacillin-tazobactem and polymyxin B; for enterobacteriacae, most effective drug was meropenem. Conclusion: It is of utmost importance for a clinician to send the pus sample for microbiological analysis and antibiotic sensitivity testing before starting antibiotic therapy to minimize the emergence of drug resistance.