Bacteriological profile of breast abscess and its antimicrobial susceptibility at tertiary care hospital

: A breast abscess often arises as a complication of bacterial mastitis, particularly when treatment is either insufficient or delayed. These abscesses are usually caused by pyogenic bacteria. The primary treatment involves draining the abscess, and antibiotics are prescribed based on the results of a culture report. : The present study was conducted to address microbiological profile of breast abscess and elucidates antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates. This retrospective study was conducted at tertiary care hospital, Jamnagar from July 2023 to June 2024. Total 100 suspected breast abscess cases were assessed. Pus aspirates from abscesses received at microbiology laboratory were cultured and examined for bacterial growth by various microbiological methods. After the identification of the bacterial pathogen, antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method on Muller Hinton agar according to CLSI guidelines. Majority of cases belonged to lactational group. The most common bacterial isolate was (83.5%), and out of them 41% were methicillin-resistant (MRSA). Others included Enterococcus species and gram-negative organisms like , , , and . isolates (both MSSA and MRSA) showed good sensitivity towards drugs like tetracycline , cotrimoxazole and linezolid. The maximum occurrence (71% cases)of breast abscess was seen in lactating women. was the predominant organism found. For our institute recommended drugs for an initial empirical therapy are amoxycillin-clavulanic acid, erythromycin and clindamycin. Pregnant and lactating mothers should be trained and counselled on breastfeeding and breast hygiene. Following strict infection control practices in maternity wards can help reduce the risk of acquiring infections during the hospital stay.