Seven-Year Trend of Antimicrobial Resistance of <i>Acinetobacter</i> and <i>Pseudomonas</i> spp. Causing Bloodstream Infections: A Retrospective Study from Shiraz, Southern Iran

Abstract

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a growing healthcare system threat of huge concern worldwide. Objectives: This study aimed to report the seven-year trend of antimicrobial resistance of Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas spp. causing bloodstream infections (BSIs) in Shiraz, southern Iran, during 2010 - 2016. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on the recorded blood cultures during 2010 - 2016. The susceptibility testing of isolates was performed by the agar diffusion test. Data were grouped into three episodes: 2010 to 2011, 2012 to 2013, and 2014 to 2016. The chi-square test was used to determine the significance of antimicrobial resistance trends. Results: The rates of resistance to antibiotics such as amikacin, cefepime, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, and piperacillin-tazobactam were high within 2014 - 2016, with a statistically significant increasing trend over the abovementioned three periods. The resistance rates of Pseudomonas spp. to the antibiotics such as amikacin, tobramycin, gentamicin, cefepime, ceftazidime, and ciprofloxacin were high in 2014 - 2016 with a statistically significant increasing trend over the three periods. Conclusions: The increasing trend of antimicrobial resistance of Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas spp. to almost all the conventional antibiotics over the seven-year period of this study is alarming.