Antimicrobial Sensitivity Pattern of Klebsiella Pneumoniae Isolated From Sputum From a Tertiary Hospital, Calicut, Kerala

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance is a serious hazard to public health that demands urgent preventive measures. It threatens the effective management of ever increasing infections caused by pathogens. This study is done to find out the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. Pneumoniae) isolated from sputum and to highlight the evolving antimicrobial resistance. A total of 500 sputum samples were collected from patients who presented with respiratory tract infections (RTI) and examined. Nearly 30% of the samples were culture positive for various organisms. The most common pathogen isolated was K. Pneumoniae. Other organisms were Streptococci, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas species. K. Pneumoniae was found to be most sensitive to Imipenem, Amikacin and Gentamicin. Considering the antimicrobial susceptibility, cost and side effect profile, Ciprofloxacin and Cotrimoxazole are preferred drugs for outpatient treatment, while aminoglycosides are preferred for inpatient treatment of K. Pneumoniae infections.