Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns Among Bloodstream Infection Isolates in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Northwestern India: A Retrospective Study

Objectives: To assess the antimicrobial resistance trends among bloodstream infection isolates recovered from patients attending a tertiary care hospital in Northwestern India. Material and Methods: A -retrospective- laboratory -based study was conducted between 2018 and 2023 at Jaipur National University Institute for Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Jaipur, India. A total 2600 non-repetitive blood samples from patients clinically suspected of bloodstream infection were processed. Isolation and identification of pathogens were performed using standard microbiological procedures including blood culture, Gram staining, biochemical characterization and antimicrobial susceptibility testing by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Results: Among the 2600 blood culture samples analyzed 520 (20%) yielded significant microbial growth. Male patients accounted for 55.8% of blood culture positive cases while female represented 44%. the mean age of the study population was 46 ± 14 years. Most patients was admitted to Intensive care units (59%). Escherichia coli (30.0%) was the Klebsiella pneumoniae (18.1%). Multidrug resistance was observed in 79.8% of Klebsiella pneumoniae and 75.0% of Escherichia coli isolates. A progressive increase in antimicrobial resistance was observed during the study period. The overall mortality rate was 25% with the highest mortality associated with Klebsiella pneumoniae infection (35.1%). Conclusion: The study highlights the increasing burden of antimicrobial resistance among bloodstream pathogens in a tertiary care setting. Continuous microbiological surveillance rational antimicrobial stewardship programs are essential to limit the spread of resistant organisms and improve patients outcomes.