Background Respiratory infections are associated with high morbidity and mortality, especially in critically ill patients. The excessive use of broad-spectrum antibiotics has led to the development of drug resistance, thus resulting in the emergence of pathogens which are difficult to treat. The aim of this study was to identify common pathogens in tracheal secretions and to study the patterns of their sensitivity and resistance to various antibiotics. Materials and methods This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from August 2017 to December 2017, using the convenient sampling technique. Tracheal secretions from patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), tested in the Pathology and Microbiology Department of Holy Family Hospital, were included in the study. The culture was done on blood and MacConkey agar and the sensitivity pattern was performed on Muller Hinton agar. Data were analyzed using SPSS v.23.0. Results Out of the bacteria isolated from positive growth cultures, Acinetobacter (45; 53.6%) was the most common isolate followed by Klebsiella (11; 13.1%). Acinetobacter was most sensitive to tigecycline (94.7%), and gram-negative bacteria such as Acinetobacter, Klebsiella, and Pseudomonas showed resistance to higher generation cephalosporins. Conclusion Acinetobacter was the most common gram-negative bacilli isolated. Tigecycline was found to be effective against Acinetobacter.
Keywords: drug resistance; gram-negative bacteria; respiratory infections; tracheal secretions.