Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Non fermenting Gram-negative Bacilli Isolated from Blood Culture Samples in a Tertiary Care Hospital

BACKGROUND: Non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli (NFGNB) are emerging as a significant cause of bloodstream infections (BSIs), a major concern of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The high intrinsic resistance of NFGNB to antimicrobial compounds makes treatment of BSI difficult and expensive. AIMS: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of NFGNB and the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of the isolates. METHODOLOGY: A total of 1230 blood culture samples were received in the department of microbiology during the study period of 3 months, which were processed by standard microbiological procedures. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. RESULTS: Out of 255 (20.73%) positive blood culture samples, 105 (8.5%) Gram-negative bacilli were isolated, of which 41 (3.33%) NFGNB were identified. The most common isolate identified is Pseudomonas aeruginosa (21), followed by Acinetobacter spp. (20). A higher percentage of antibiotic resistance was seen for Acinetobacte r spp. and even higher antibiotics like ceftazidime (87.5%) and gentamicin (92.5%). CONCLUSION: This study will help us start empirical treatment and implement proper hospital infection control measures.