ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY PROFILE OF BACTERIAL ISOLATES FROM INTENSIVE CARE UNIT IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN PUNJAB

Purpose: To study the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of bacterial isolates from intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on specimens from ICUs, isolated from July 2009 to May 2010. The specimens were processed using standard microbiological techniques. MRSA was detected using the Cefoxitin disc by disc diffusion method. Results: Majority of the specimens showing positive cultures- 42 % consisted of invasive devices from the upper respiratory tract like tracheostomy tubes and endotracheal tube tip cultures used in interventions, followed by pus and wound swabs - 25 %, urine ? 13 % and blood cultures-10.43%. The organisms isolated predominantly were E.coli - 21 % (mainly from urine), Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp. - 19 % and 18 %, respectively (mainly from invasive device cultures). Acinetobacter spp and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were found to be the most resistant organisms to the commonly used antibiotics followed by Klebsiella spp. and Coagulase negative Staphylococci. The percentage of MRSA strains was found to be 17 %.