Determination of multi-drug resistance profile of isolated Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria from clinical pus samples in Bangladesh

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been a very concerning issue with consistent rise on a global scale. The rapid spread of drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria is a serious public health concern in both developed and developing countries, including Bangladesh. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of antibiotic resistant pathogenic bacteria and their multi-drug resistance (MDR) rate in pus samples. A total of 891 pus positive samples were collected from Tangail, Bangladesh. The resulting bacterial isolates were confirmed by biochemical tests and gram staining to classify bacterial species into two large groups. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed for the identified bacterial isolates using the disk diffusion method. Escherichia coli exhibited the highest resistance level (98.92%, n=92). Also, Pseudomonas spp. displayed a substantial resistance pattern at 92.66% (n = 341), Proteus spp. at 91.58% (n = 87), Klebsiella spp. at 87.5% (n = 56), and Acinetobacter spp. exhibiting complete resistance of 100% (n =6). The cumulative MDR trend for Gram-negative bacteria was significant (92.98%, n = 583). Conversely, Gram-positive bacteria demonstrated a robust resistance pattern as well. Streptococcus spp. displayed resistance in 66.66% (n = 2) of cases, and Enterococcus faecalis exhibited resistance in 92.23% (n = 95) of instances. While Staphylococcus aureus showed a high resistance level with 95.06% (n = 77) of isolates. The overall drug-resistant pattern for Gram-positive bacteria was substantial (87.5%, n = 231). As per the findings of this study, bacteria frequently encountered demonstrate a concerning prevalence of MDR, posing a significant challenge to public health. The outcomes of this research may contribute valuable insights for formulating evidence-based treatment strategies and underscore the critical need for early identification of drug-resistant bacteria. Finally, this imperative step may hold the potential to mitigate the disease burden effectively.