Extensively Drug-resistant and Pandrug-resistant Gram-negative Bacteria in a Tertiary-care Hospital in Eastern India: A 4-year Retrospective Study

Objectives: Bacteria resistant to different classes of antimicrobial agents are a major threat to humanity and risk leading the world towards the return of the pre-antimicrobial era. This study was undertaken to detect the incidence of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) and pandrug-resistant (PDR) bacteria in a tertiary-care hospital in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.

Methods: Positive bacterial cultures from different clinical samples were identified using a VITEK2 compact system and the antimicrobial susceptibility profile of different Gram-negative bacteria was analysed.

Results: A total of 2489 clinical samples were collected and processed for culture during the period January 2013 to April 2017. Of 1103 pure bacterial cultures, 690 (62.6%) were Gram-negative bacteria. The antimicrobial susceptibility profile of Gram-negative bacterial strains revealed that 41.3% (n=285) were XDR and 8.1% (n=56) were PDR. Rates of colistin and tigecycline resistance were 16% and 51.9%, respectively.

Conclusion: This situation demands regular surveillance of antimicrobial resistance of Gram-negative bacteria and implementation of an efficient infection control programme.