Investigation of Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolates from Educational and Medical Centers of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, 2020-21

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative, non-motile, encapsulated bacilli, Klebsiella pneumoniae acts as an opportunistic pathogen in the occurrence of hospital-acquired infections. This bacterium is often resistant to several classes of antibiotics, including beta-lactams. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and antibiotic resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae strains isolated from hospitalized patients in the educational and medical centers of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences from 2020-2021. In this descriptive-cross-sectional study, 50 Klebsiella pneumoniae strains were collected from various clinical samples of hospitalized patients in educational and medical centers affiliated with Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. Sample cultures were performed on Eosin methylene blue and Blood agar media, and after 24 hours of incubation, Gram staining and oxidase tests were conducted on the grown colonies. Gram-negative and oxidase-negative bacilli were identified, and the presence of Klebsiella pneumoniae was confirmed by culturing bacteria on TSI, SIM, MR-VP, citrate, and urea media. Then, antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using the disk diffusion method according to CLSI guidelines. The antibiotic disks included ciprofloxacin, imipenem, meropenem, cefepime, ceftazidime, gentamicin, amikacin, and ceftriaxone. In this study, among the 50 isolates examined, 61% were resistant to ciprofloxacin, 60% to imipenem, 49% to meropenem, 56% to cefepime, 58% to ceftazidime, 35% to gentamicin, 13% to amikacin, and 55% to ceftriaxone. Amikacin was identified as the most sensitive and effective antibiotic in this study. The results of the current study indicate an increase in the resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates to various antibiotics compared to previous studies. Further studies in this area can better guide us in confronting the antibiotic resistance of these infectious bacteria. Therefore, for infection control and to prevent the spread of drug-resistant bacteria, precise management in drug prescription and identification of resistant isolates is essential.