Aim

To determine the causative agents of infections in intensive care unit (ICU) and their antibiotic resistance patterns between dates March 2012 – March 2013.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective study was carried out of microorganisms isolated from the different clinic materials in ICU of Namik Kemal University Research and Practice Hospital. Conventional and/or semiautomatic methods were used for identification of bacteria and antibiotic susceptibilities were determined by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recommendations.

Results

A total of 59 microorganisms were isolated from 185 samples which sent from 26 patients in ICU during the study period. Fourty-one (69,5%) of microorganisms were Gram negative, 10 (16,9%) were Gram positive bacteria and 8 (13,5%) were yeasts. The most frequently isolated Gram negative bacteria were Pseudomonas spp. (23,7%), Escherichia coli (16,9%), Klebsiella spp. (11,9%) and Acinetobacter spp. (10,2%). The most effective antibiotics were; against Acinetobacter spp. amikacin and ceftazidim, against Pseudomonas spp. tobramycin and netilmicin, against Klebsiella spp. and Escherichia coli amikacin and imipenem-meropenem. The most frequently isolated Gram positive bacteria were coagulase negative staphylococcus (CNS) (13,5%), and Enterococcus spp. (3,4%). Meticillin resistance was detected in 71,4% of CNS. All CNS isolates were sensitive to vancomycin, teicoplanin and linezolid.

Conclusion

The patients found in ICU are from the most susceptible populations in hospital. Therefore infections in these areas are major problems. Knowing identified microorganisms and their antibiotic resistance profiles in ICU’s may contribute to both the selection of the appropriate empirical treatments and protection of the patients from contamination of resistant strains.

Keywords: Antibiotic susceptibility, antibiotic resistance, Gram negative bacteria, Gram positive bacteria, intensive care unit, intensive care infections, Acinetobacter, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas