CURRENT SCENARIO OF ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE IN NICUS: AN EMERGING THERAPEUTIC CONFRONT

Purpose: The present study was carried out to analyze bacteriological profile and their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of isolates caused infections in neonates admitted to NICUs, Surat, Gujarat. Material and Methods: During December 2010 to January 2012, 1611 different clinical samples were collected. Pathogens were isolated and identified by using strict microbiological procedures according to Bergey’s manual of determinative bacteriology, 9th edition. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed using the Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method as per CLSI guidelines. Results: In our study, positivity of bacterial infections was found in 21.22% of the cases. More incidences of sepsis were found (251/342). Among 342 isolates 211 were identified as gram negatives and rest as gram positives. 12 cases of infections due to fungi were excluded from the study. E. coli and Klebsiella spp. were predominant isolates caused neonatal infections. Studied strains of E. coli showed higher susceptibility to Clindamycin (98.88%), Meropenum (90.78%) and Imipenem (86.00 %), but even more effectively to combination of drugs like Piperacillin/Tazobactam (96.84%). Conclusion: Higher prevalence of sepsis is a serious consideration. Most of all gram negatives are resistance to most of third generation of cephalosporins, common drugs generally used. Combination of drugs is suggestive for therapy rather than single antimicrobial. Over all good in vitro activity was observed in Clindamycin and Imipenem.. Close watch for antimicrobial resistance is warranted to glow such findings that can represent current status and draw proper line of therapy.