Trends in antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Saudi Med J. 2019 Mar;40(3):252-259. doi: 10.15537/smj.2019.3.23947.

Abstract

To describe and interpret local antibiograms from a single tertiary care center to monitor the trends of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns and establish baseline data for further surveillance. Methods: We performed a retrospective descriptive review of antibiograms data between January 2010 and December 2015 from King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Results: A total of 51,491 isolates were identified, and most were gram-negative (76.2%). Escherichia coli was the most frequently isolated organism (36.8%), followed by Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (28.4%) and Staphylococcus aureus (27.5%). The detection of antibiotic-resistant organisms, especially extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (31%-41%), increased over time. The sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae to penicillin improved from 66% to 100% (p less than 0.001). Gram-negative isolates had excellent overall susceptibility to amikacin, variable susceptibility to piperacillin-tazobactam and carbapenems, and declining susceptibility to ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, and cefepime. Conclusion: Streptococcus pneumoniae susceptibility to penicillin significantly improved over time, which might be because of the introduction of the pneumococcal vaccine. Conversely, the upward trend in resistant gram-negative organisms is worrisome and warrants the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs.

MeSH terms

  • Acinetobacter baumannii / drug effects
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Coagulase / metabolism
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial*
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects
  • Escherichia coli / enzymology
  • Gram-Negative Bacteria / drug effects*
  • Hospitals
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae / drug effects
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Penicillin Resistance
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / drug effects
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Staphylococcus / drug effects*
  • Staphylococcus / enzymology
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae / drug effects*
  • Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci / drug effects
  • beta-Lactamases / metabolism

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Coagulase
  • beta-Lactamases