Bacteriological profile and antibiotic susceptibility test of blood culture isolates in pediatric patients at a tertiary care teaching hospital

Aim of the study was to know the bacterial profile and antibiotic resistance pattern of blood culture isolates from pediatric patients in at a tertiary care teaching hospital.

Between March 2014-July 2015, blood culture samples from 1346 children (0–18 years) were monitored for the growth in the BACTEC/automated instrument. Samples suspicious of growth as indicated by the instrument were sub cultured and incubated at 370C and identified by standard procedure. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method.

Out of 1346 blood culture samples processed, 159 (11.8%) were positive. Among positive isolates Salmonella species were 66.6% and non-Salmonella species were 33.3%. Predominant non-Salmonella species isolated were NFGNB (10.1%), 5% each of CoNS and Enterococcus spp. Among Salmonella spp isolated majority (85%) were S. typhi and (15%) were S. paratyphi A. isolated. The predominant isolates from ICU were NFGNB (30%), CoNS (20%) and Pseudomonas species (13.3%). Both S. typhi and S. paratyphi A revealed 18% and 19% resistance to ciprofloxacin; 8% and 19% resistance to ampicillin respectively. No resistance for chloramphenicol and ceftriaxone were noted in S. paratyphi A. Resistance of 2.2% each to chloramphenicol and cefotaxime, 5.6% to co-trimoxazole was noted, however no resistance was noted to ceftriaxone in S. typhi.

A constant monitoring of blood cultures in pediatric age group is critical to understand bacterial profile and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern in different age groups to provide better patient care.