Decoding carbapenem resistant organisms (CROs) causing lower respiratory tract infections & their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern

Background & objectives Lower Respiratory Tract Infections (LRTIs) pose a significant global health problem. Emergence of Carbapenem Resistant Organism (CRO) has complicated the treatment of these infections. We conducted a retrospective analysis to identify the prevalence of CROs causing LRTI and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Methods A total of 1041 respiratory samples received in the department of Microbiology, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune were immediately processed as per standard guidelines and antimicrobial susceptibility was carried out with Vitek 2 Compact, Biomerieux. Results Klebsiella pneumoniae sub spp pneumoniae was the most isolated CRO in our study. A high level of resistance was observed among commonly used antibiotics in LRTIs. Interpretation & conclusions The resistance pattern highlights the limited efficacy of many standard antibiotics against CROs. This emphasizes the urgent need for antimicrobial stewardship and importance of colistin as the primary therapeutic choice, albeit with the need for prudent application.