Implications of Biofilm-Producing Organisms Among Bacteria Isolated From Ear-, Nose-, and Throat-Infected Patients

Background: Bacteria resistant to antimicrobial agents have remained a major challenge in public health, and bacterial-producing biofilm is one of the main causes of antibiotic resistance, especially in upper respiratory tract infections (URTI). This study aimed at determining the antibiotic resistance pattern and formation of biofilms in bacteria causing ear, nose, and throat (ENT) infections in our study population. Methods: One hundred and fifty samples, including ear (n=87), nasal discharge (22), throat swab (8), and surgical sample (33) (aspirate and tissue), were screened and analyzed using the culture technique, direct microscopy, and bacteria identification with an API 20E strip. The antibiotic susceptibility testing of the isolates was performed with Kirby-Bauer’s disk diffusion techniques and interpreted based on the Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute guidelines. The biofilm-producing organisms (BPOs) were determined by using the tube method technique. Results: A total of 192 isolates were recovered (60% gram-positive and 40% gram-negative bacteria). Eighty-three (43.2%) of recovered isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR) to antibiotics tested, and 60 (75%) isolates from MDR isolates were BPOs. Conclusion: Biofilm-producing bacteria have higher tendencies to dominate in body-infected tissues other than the discharges being produced; therefore, tissue biopsy for culture and sensitivity should be considered more appropriate where visible, especially when confronted with hard-to-treat infections in ENT clinical settings.