An update on the increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant pathogens found in mechanically ventilated patients in central India

Background: Rampant and irrational use of antibiotics led to antimicrobial resistance in intensive care units, directly influencing the clinical outcome. The prior introduction of antibiotics, especially broad-spectrum antibiotics, has been identified as a leading cause of hospital-acquired pneumonia. The present study aims to examine the existing scenario of antibiotic resistance due to multidrug-resistant organisms that are detected in mechanically ventilated patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the department of Microbiology of a tertiary care hospital in Central India. A total of 410 endotracheal secretions were collected. The endotracheal aspirate of adult patients admitted to the medicine intensive care unit and on mechanical ventilation was received at the microbiology laboratory for processing by standard bacteriological techniques. Drug susceptibility testing was done using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method according to the indications mentioned in Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute 2021. Results: Out of 410 collected endotracheal secretion samples, 332 (81 %) samples demonstrated bacterial growth. A total of 265 (80%) cases fulfilled the inclusion criteria. From 265 samples, 92 (34.7 %) patients were clinically and microbiologically confirmed as cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Over eighty percent of gram-negative bacilli were multidrug-resistant strains (Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Conclusion: Real understanding of multidrug-resistant pathogens, early isolation as well as avoiding long-term antibiotic intake can reduce mortality levels currently linked with late-onset ventilator-associated pneumonia.