A Two Year Study of Positive Blood Culture with Polymicrobial Septicemia

The invasion of bloodstream represents one of the most important sequelae of infection. This study was conducted over a period of two years to determine the predominant polymicrobial bacterial agents of septicemia in a rural area of Maharashtra and their antibiotic susceptibilities.

Blood samples were collected and cultured from 312 patients who were presented with fever and presumed diagnosis of septicemia. Isolates were identified and tested for antibiotic susceptibility.

Most common polymicrobial isolate combination was Klebsiella aerogenes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A wide range of resistance to commonly used antimicrobial agents and multidrug resistance was documented.

The predominant polymicrobial agents were identified and the relatively high prevalence of antibiotic resistance of the isolates is most probably due to nature and lifestyle of this rural population and the use of empiric treatment. Obtaining a precise bacteriological diagnosis before starting an antibiotic therapy is of paramount importance for the success of therapeutic strategy in septicemia.