The Increasing Incidence of ESKAPE Pathogens in Surgical Site Infections (SSI) of a Tertiary Care Referral Centre

Background: “Healthcare facilities, especially tertiary care referral centres, have a serious problem with surgical site infections (SSI). The increasing number of Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter (ESKAPE) pathogens being isolated from Surgical Site Infections (SSI) is the rising concern for healthcare practitioners. The reason behind this being their capability of causing serious infections which are resistant to the standard medications. It warrants further research since it poses a serious threat to public health care systems. Research Question: what is the incidence of ESKAPE pathogens related to SSI in the setting of a tertiary care referral centre and what are the risk factors linked with the presence of these pathogens? Aim: Within the context of a tertiary care referral centre, this study aims to ascertain the prevalence of ESKAPE infections in SSI and their associated risk factors. According to our hypothesis, ESKAPE bacteria are often found in surgical site infections (SSI) at our tertiary care referral centre, and we believe that the presence of these pathogens is connected with specific patient and surgical characteristics. Materials & Methods: Over a period of one year, from January 4, 2023, to January 3, 2024, we examined the prevalence of ESKAPE bacteria in SSI at a tertiary care referral centre. The Microbiology and the General Surgery departments provided observations. Patients or their legal guardians provided written consent to use their data, and the research was authorised by the Institutional Review Board and the ethics committee. Results: The study found that 67.4% of surgery site infections were in male patients and 32.6% were in female patients. Most cases were aged 20-40, with a mean age of 38.4. The study found that 30.1% of surgical wound samples grew bacteria, with 10.8% having double bacterial infections. The total number of bacteria isolates was 417, from ten genera. The most common bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus, K. pneumoniae, Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus, and P. aeruginosa, with a gram-positive to gram-negative ratio of 0.782:1. The study found that men accounted for 64.9% of isolated pathogens, while women post-surgical patients, accounted for 35.1%. The majority were male, with no significant gender and culture positivity link. The majority lived in rural areas. Conclusion: Due to antibiotic resistance and improper drug administration, ESKAPE bacteria are increasingly causing SSIs, challenging the healthcare setup. To tackle this, healthcare facilities must emphasize prevention, the intelligent use of antibiotics, and ground-breaking therapies.