RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The widespread misuse of antibiotics over the past several decades has been regarded as the contributing factor in the development of resistance toward them. Extended spectrum ß-lactamases (ESBLs) are enzymes produced by certain bacteria that can make them resistant to certain antibiotics. Early detection of ESBL strains and judicious use of antibiotics and proper implementation of infection control strategies are essential to prevent the spread of this threat in the community. The study aimed at appraising the prevalence, risk factors and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of ESBL-producing microorganisms. METHODS: A prospective observational study was carried out in a tertiary care referral hospital located in Malappuram district of Kerala among inpatients with infection by ESBL-producing bacteria in order to estimate the prevalence, risk factors and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern. RESULTS: Out of the total 1156 patients studied, 118 had confirmed diagnosis on the presence of ESBL-producing microorganisms. Overall, 9.79% of all samples growing Enterobacteriaceae yielded an ESBL producer. Out of the total isolates identified, 66.1% were urinary tract infections, 15.1% were respiratory tract infections, 14.4% were surgical site infections and the remaining constituted blood stream infections. The highest antimicrobial activity against ESBL-producing isolates was observed for meropenem. CONCLUSIONS: High prevalence of ESBL-producing organisms is evident in the study setting implicating the necessity to report the ESBL production along with the routine sensitivity reports supplemented with control measures which can assist a clinician in prescribing appropriate antibiotics.
