Resistance Pattern of Klebsiella pneumoniae in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia: A Ten-Year Hospital-Based Study

<i>Background and Objectives:</i> The frequency of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (MDRKP) has dramatically increased worldwide in recent decades, posing an urgent threat to public health. The aim of this study was to assess the extent of <i>K. pneumoniae</i> in the Aseer region and explore the corresponding antimicrobial resistance profile over the last ten years. <i>Materials and Methods:</i> A record-based retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary hospital during the period of 2013 to 2022. The study targeted laboratory samples taken from patients admitted to the hospital and sent for <i>K. pneumoniae</i> culturing. We included only samples taken from the patient and confirmed by the lab. Data were extracted using a pre-structured data extraction sheet to avoid data-collection bias and confirm the inter-rater precision. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 was employed for statistical analysis. All relationships were tested using Pearson X² test for categorical data or chi-square for linear trend for resistance rate over years. <i>Results</i>: We obtained 3921 samples of isolated <i>K. pneumoniae</i> out of 28,420 bacterial samples. The isolation rate began at 11.3% in 2013, decreased to 6.1% in 2016, and then increased to a peak of 16.3% in 2021, before slightly decreasing to 12.8% in 2022. In total, 23.7% of <i>K. pneumoniae</i> samples were identified in urine samples, 19% in sputum samples, 14% in wound samples, and 11.7% in blood samples. The overall antibiotic resistance rate of <i>K. pneumoniae</i> from 2013 to 2022 showed a significant increase, particularly during 2020 and 2021, before decreasing again in 2022. The resistance rate decreased from 22.2% in 2013 to 18.6% in 2016 and increased to 54.6% and 56.4% during 2020 and 2021, respectively (<i>p</i> = 0.039)<i>. Conclusions:</i> We observed a significant shift in <i>K. pneumoniae</i> resistance for some antibiotics during the study period, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced antimicrobial stewardship and infection-control measures.