Antibiotic sensitivity pattern of bacteria isolated from respiratory samples of intensive care units in a tertiary care hospital in North India

Background: The burden of life-threatening conditions requiring mechanical ventilation (MV) in the intensive care unit has grown in the last couple of years, so understanding the pattern of bacteria isolated and their antibiogram has become necessary in all tertiary care hospitals. The present study was designed to know the bacterial profile and their antimicrobial sensitivity pattern from respiratory samples among patients admitted in the ICU of the institute. Methods: This was a 2-year retrospective study (from January 2022 to December 2023) in a Punjab tertiary care hospital and endotracheal and tracheal aspirates using standard microbiological methods were analyzed. Results: A total of 602 respiratory samples were collected from six ICUs, with 274 (46%) culture-positive. Among these, 81% were Gram-negative bacilli, 18% Gram-positive cocci, and 2% yeast. The most common isolates were Klebsiella spp. (61%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (17%), and Pseudomonas spp. (15%). Multidrug resistance was observed in 33% of Klebsiella spp., 24% of Pseudomonas spp., and 32% of Staphylococcus aureus were methicillin-resistant (MRSA). Conclusions: Gram negative bacteria are more prevalent in patients in intensive care units with a decrease in sensitivity patterns to the antibiotics commonly available; which calls for an alarm to the healthcare workers.