title: Bacterial profile and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern in septicemia suspected patients attending Gondar University Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bacterial blood stream infection constitutes a significant public health problem and it is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of bacterial isolates from septicemia suspected patients and their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern in Gondar University Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  This laboratory based retrospective study of 390 blood culture and susceptibility tests was conducted in Bacteriology Laboratory of the University of Gondar Teaching Hospital. The samples were collected and processed following standard microbiological techniques as part of the routine clinical management of the patient. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was done on pure culture isolates employing disc-diffusion method for the commonly used antibiotics. The data were analyzed by using SPSS version 16 and the results were summarized by using tables and graphs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 390 blood culture results, 71 (18.2%) were culture positive. The predominant bacteria isolated from blood culture were Coagulase negative staphylococci 30 (42.3%), followed by S. aureus 17 (23.9%) and Klebiesella spp 9 (12.9%), E. coli 5 (7.0%), Pseudomonas aeroginosa 4 (5.6%) and Salmonella spp. 3 (4.2%). The gram positive and gram negative bacteria constituted 49 (69%) and 22 (31%) of the culture isolates; respectively. The isolates showed high rates of resistance to most antibiotics tested. The range of resistance for Gram positive and Gram negative were from 23.5% - 58.8%, and 20%- 100% respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the present study most of the pathogens isolated from blood culture showed high rate of resistance to most commonly used antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections. Therefore, rational use of antibiotics should be practiced.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Gondar teaching Hospital, Gondar University, Gondar, Ethiopia. dagnewmulat@gmail.com
authors.forename: Mulat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dagnew
authors.forename: Gizachew
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yismaw
authors.forename: Mucheye
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gizachew
authors.forename: Alemayehu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gadisa
authors.forename: Tigist
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abebe
authors.forename: Tinebeb
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tadesse
authors.forename: Agersew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alemu
authors.forename: Biniam
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mathewos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005002:Ethiopia; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000382:microbiology*; D055815:Young Adult