Abstract:
Objective: To determine the frequency, risk factors, and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of Burkholderia cepacia isolates from
clinical specimens in a Pakistani tertiary care hospital.
Study Design: Cross-sectional Study
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from
Jul 2017 to Jun 2021.
Methodology: The Burkholderia cepacia strains were isolated from clinical samples by routine microbiological methods. In our
laboratory, the identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the isolate were made by API 20NE and VITEK-2
Automated Microbiology Analyzer.
Results: Four hundred and nineteen (419) str5-ains of Burkholderia cepacia were isolated during the study period. Among them,
277(66.1%) and 57(13.6%) isolates were from blood cultures and lower respiratory tracts, respectively. The antibiotic-resistant
rates of the isolates of Minocycline, Cotrimoxazole, Levofloxacin, Meropenem, and Ceftazidime were 13(3.1%), 26(6.2%), 49(11.6%),
74(17.6%) and 118(28.16%) respectively.
Conclusion: We observed a gradual increase in the frequency of isolation. A surge in antimicrobial resistance was also seen
during the study period underscoring the need for rigorous implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs and
infection control practices.
