Characterization and antibiotic sensitivity profile of bacteria isolated from patients with respiratory tract infections in Bangladesh

The study was aimed to characterize bacterial isolates from respiratory tract infections (RTI) and   investigate their antibiotic sensitivity profile. Selective media and biochemical tests were used to characterize 40   bacterial isolates. Antibiotic sensitivity testing was conducted using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. About   42.5% (17) RTI patients were infected by Klebsiella pneumoniae, 30% (12) by Escherichia coli and 27.5% (11) by   Pseudomonas aeruginosa with no significant gender variation (p-value <0.578). Overall, 47% (out of 20) antibiotics   were sensitive, whereas 48% were resistant. Surprisingly, 18% P. aeruginosa and 20% K. pneumoniae were   carbapenem-resistant and 4 out of 7 cephalosporin antibiotics were highly resistant irrespective of pathogens. E. coli   showed better sensitivity to nitrofurantoin (78%) and levofloxacin (89%), while K. pneumoniae was insensitive to   cotrimoxazole (88%), gentamycin (77%) and piperacillin/tazobactam (66%). On the other hand, P. aeruginosa did   not respond to P. aeruginosa to nalidixic acid (60%) and ciprofloxacin (60%). This study concludes that   nitrofurantoin, levofloxacin, cotrimoxazole, gentamycin and piperacillin/tazobactam antibiotics could be better   alternative in treating bacterial RTIs.Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 16(2): 235-244, 2017 (December)