Bacteriological Profile and Antibiotic Sensitivity Pattern of Clinical Isolates in a Tertiary Cancer Care Center in the Northeast India

Background  This study was performed to determine the bacteriological profile and antibiotic sensitivity pattern of culture samples of patients with cancer at our institute. The study was undertaken to formulate an antibiotic policy for the treatment of infection in these patients. Materials and Methods  The study was performed in the Department of Microbiology of a regional cancer center during the period from January 2017 to December 2017. Samples were collected under all aseptic precaution, and they were processed as per the Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute Guideline 2017. Results  A total of 464 clinical samples (urine, blood, sputum, pus, etc.) were collected and processed for culture, of which 198 (42.67%) samples showed culture positive that were identified as per standard recommended procedures and antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed on isolates as per the Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute guidelines 2017. Escherichia coli (48), Staphylococcus aureus, (45) Klebsiella pneumoniae (52), Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (17), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15) were most commonly encountered. Of the 132 Gram-negative isolates, 101 (76.5%) were extended-spectrum β-lactamase producers. Among the 45 staphylococcal isolates, 18 (40%) were methicillin-resistant S . aureus.Conclusion  The present study reveals microbiological profile in patients attending our cancer institute.