Background: Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae(CR-Kp) dissemination is a major healthcare problem due to its limited treatment options.
Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance profile of hospital infections caused by CR-Kp in Al-Ahrar Teaching Hospital. The study was conducted through the period from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021.
Patients and Methods: 650 clinical samples were collected from different ICU departments.Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates were identified by conventional methods. Susceptibility to carbapenems and other antibiotics was determined by disk diffusion method.
Results: Out of 650 clinical specimens, 142 K. pneumoniae were isolated with an isolation rate of 21.8%. K. pneumoniae showed that the majority (60.6%) of isolates were extensively-drug resistant (XDR), while 30.3% were multidrug resistant (MDR) and only 9.2% were susceptible. By disk diffusion method, the incidence of CR-Kp was 25.4% (36/142). Antibiotic susceptibility test showed that 100% of CR-Kp isolates were resistant to Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid, Ampicillin/Sulbactam, Pipracillin/Tazobactam, cefepime, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, cefoxitin, ceftazidime and nitrofurantoin. High rate of resistance was also evident to aztreonam, norfloxacin (88.9%, for each) and amikacin (61.1%). Levofloxacin owned the lowest resistance rate (30.6%), followed by ciprofloxacin (44.4%) and gentamycin (47.2%). Antibiotic resistance pattern of isolated CR-Kpshowed that the majority of the isolates (97.2%) were XDR, while only 2.8% were MDR.
Conclusion: Aboutquarter of K. pneumoniae isolates were carbapenem-resistant with predominance of XDR isolates whichrepresents a warning sign for which application of antibiotic stewardship is mandatory as well as strict infection control policies for prevention of development of pan-drug resistant bacteria.