Bacteriological Profile and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns of Bacteria Isolated from Surgical Site Infections of Patients Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital

Introduction: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are one of themajor causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countriesdespite recent advances in aseptic techniques. The SSIs dueto emerging multidrug resistance (MDR) bacteria isolates areconsidered as grave threats to the public health worldwide.Each hospital has specific type of microbial flora from whichinfection initiates. In such condition microorganism showsunique type of antibiotic susceptibility and resistance pattern.In this study we report on the microbiological spectrum ofSSIs and the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern with a viewto provide guide to the clinicians for making rational decisionover the choice of antibiotics in the management of surgicalsite infection.Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study wascarried out in a tertiary care hospital and the 560 sampleswere collected, processed in the microbiology laboratory andevaluated for the study.Results: Out of 376 growth positive samples, Gram NegativeBacilli (GNB) were isolated from 271 (72%) samples andGram Positive Cocci (GPC) were isolated from 105 (28%)samples. Among the isolated GNB, only 5 to 10% weresensitive to third generation Cephalosporins. Sensitivity toFluroquinolones (Ciprofloxacin and Levofloxacin) was alsolow (Only 5% to 10% were sensitive). Only 3 to 15% of theGNB were found sensitive to Co-amoxiclav and 6.5% to 23%were sensitive to Ampicillin-Sulbactam. About 60% of thePseudomonas aeruginosa and about 40% of the Klebsiellaspp and Acinetobacter baumanii were found resistant toMeropenem.Conclusion: Gram Negative Bacilli predominated overGram Positive Cocci in surgical site infections in our setup. Very low sensitivity to 3rd generation Cephalosporins,Ampicillin, Co-amoxiclav and Fluroquinolones was notedamong GNB isolates and an increasing pattern of resistanceto Aminoglycosides and Carbapenems was also noted amongMDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumaniiisolates. More than 50% of the MDR Acinetobacter spp.were was found sensitive to Ampicillin- Sulbactam andMinocycline.