Antimicrobial Resistance in ESKAPE Pathogens: A Retrospective Epidemiological Study at the University Hospital of Palermo, Italy

A total of 11,607 specimens from 4916 patients were analyzed. Most patients were admitted to Internal Medicine (19.4%), the ICU (13.2%), and General Surgery (9.9%). Additionally, 21.5% of the specimens were collected from ICU-admitted patients. Blood cultures accounted for 14.3% of the specimens, urine for 25.3%, respiratory secretions for 22.1%, and skin and mucosal swabs for 20.9%. The prevalence of all isolates increased progressively, peaking in 2021. The vancomycin-resistant <i>E. faecium</i> prevalence was 19.4%, with a significant upward trend, while oxacillin-resistant <i>S. aureus</i> prevalence was 35.0%, showing a significant decline. <i>A. baumannii</i> exhibited high resistance to all antibiotics tested except for colistin and cefiderocol. Carbapenemase resistance was 55.0% in <i>K. pneumoniae</i>, 20.4% in <i>P. aeruginosa</i>, and 4.6% in <i>Enterobacter</i> spp. <i>P. aeruginosa</i> showed a significant decrease in meropenem resistance. <i>K. pneumoniae</i> and <i>A. baumannii</i> bloodstream infections were linked to higher mortality risk.