Identification of non-fermenting gram negative bacilli from clinical samples and their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern in a tertiary care hospital, Manipur

Background: Non-fermenting gram negative bacilli are a group of aerobic, non-spore forming bacilli. They are ubiquitous in nature, inhabiting soil, water and also present in the hospital environment. NFGNB accounts for nearly 12-16% of all bacterial isolates in a clinical microbiology laboratory. The important members are Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii. They cause various infections such as septicaemia, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, surgical site infections and meningitis. Aims and Objectives: To estimate the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of non-fermenters in various isolated clinical samples in a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: A hospital based cross sectional study was done between August 2018 to July 2019 to isolate NFGNB from various clinical samples received from OPD and IPD for culture and sensitivity in the department of Microbiology, JNIMS, Imphal. The non-fermenters were identified using standard methods and antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed to determine the sensitivity pattern of the isolates. Results: A total of 162 isolates of non-fermenters were identified from various clinical samples processed during a period of 1 year. Pus (51.3%) was the commonest sample from which NFGNB were isolated, followed by sputum (20.9%), urine (16.60%), catheter tip (5.5%), blood (4.9%), ear swab (1.6%). Out of 162 isolates, the most common organism isolated was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (57%) followed by Acinetobacterbaumannii (25%). The most effective drug in this study was found to be Imipenem which showed sensitivity percentage of 86%. Conclusion: The present study highlights the importance of speciating NFGNB and to know the resistance pattern of carbapenems so as to establish strict antibiotic policies.