Bacteriological Profile And Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns In Various Microbiology Laboratory Specimens At A Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant global threat, with India experiencing one of the highest antibiotic consumption rates and an alarming burden of drug-resistant infections. Monitoring the bacterial pathogens prevalent in clinical samples and their evolving antibiotic susceptibility patterns is paramount to guiding effective therapeutic strategies.Methods: A six-month observational study (June–November 2023) was conducted at Kurnool Medical College Hospital, a tertiary care center in Andhra Pradesh, India. Urine, blood, sputum, pus, and other body fluid specimens were collected from patients suspected of infectious diseases. Standard microbiological techniques were employed for pathogen isolation, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method following Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines.Results: A total of 11,276 microbiological tests were analyzed. Urine samples showed the highest positivity rate, declining from 53.11% in June to 41.80% in November. Blood culture positivity decreased from 14.57% to 10.85% over the same period. Sputum sample positivity peaked (16.76%) in October. Among the isolated pathogens, Escherichia coli emerged as a dominant organism, displaying high resistance rates, especially against Gentamicin and Ofloxacin. Nitrofurantoin maintained comparatively favorable sensitivity for urinary E. coli isolates. Statistically significant seasonal variations were noted in both positivity rates and resistance patterns, implying the influence of environmental factors and clinical interventions.Conclusion: This study highlights a rising trend of antimicrobial resistance in a tertiary care setting, particularly among commonly encountered pathogens like E. coli. The findings underscore the need for ongoing regional surveillance, judicious antibiotic use, and robust infection control policies. Proactive stewardship measures, tailored by local resistance data, are critical for curbing the escalating ...