Microbiological Profile and the Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern in Endotracheal tube tip Culture/ Endotracheal Aspirates of Mechanically Ventilated Patients at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Kashmir Valley: A Cross Sectional Study

Background: Respiratory infections are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among mechanically ventilated patients. Early diagnosis and prompt institution of appropriate antibiotics play a pivotal role in the management, for which knowing the microbiological profile and the anti-microbial drug susceptibility pattern becomes inevitable. The current study was aimed to study the same. Objectives: To determine the microbial etiology in endotracheal tip/tracheal aspirates of mechanically ventilated patients and study their antimicrobial resistance patterns. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the department of microbiology, SKIMS, MCH BEMINA for 1 year. Endotracheal tube tip/ aspirate cultures of patients were processed by standard methods and their anti-microbial susceptibility patterns studied. Results: Out of 63 samples, 53 (84.1%) were positive. Gram negative bacteria 42 (72.9%) were the predominant bacterial isolates. Acinetobacter showed resistance to all antibiotics barring Colistin, tigicycline and polymixin-b. While klebsiella was multidrug resistant, pseudomonas and E.coli were mostly sensitive. MRSA showed high resistance except to vancomycin and linezolid. Conclusions: Acinetobacter and klebsiella species were the predominant isolates with high resistance to most of the antibiotics.