Prevalence, etiology, and antibiotic resistance profiles of bacterial bloodstream infections in a tertiary care hospital in Northern India: A 4-year study

INTRODUCTION: Bloodstream infections (BSIs) can lead to life-threatening sepsis and are globally associated with high morbidity and mortality. Although BSIs require immediate antimicrobial treatment, their prevalence, etiology, and antimicrobial susceptibilities differ from one country to other. There is a dearth of such data from India. Here, we report the 4-year etiologic data on BSI in trauma patients admitted to a tertiary care referral hospital in New Delhi, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted at the trauma center between January 2013 and December 2016. The routine microbiological data on bacterial BSI were recorded and determined retrospectively from the laboratory records. Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 2017 bacterial strains isolated from blood culture samples were included for microbiological analysis. During the study, the median age of the patients varied from 30 to 35 years, with the percentage of females in the study population varying from 17% to 19%. The predominant pathogens were Gram-negative bacteria, with Acinetobacter species, followed by Klebsiella species being the most commonly isolated organisms throughout the 4 years of study. Among Gram-positive isolates, Staphylococcus species were the leading pathogens (11%-15%). CONCLUSIONS: A detailed analysis of prevalence, etiology of BSIs in India and its resistance profile is crucial for appropriate antibiotic use, clinical management, and formulation of antibiotic policies and preventive measures.