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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC 4.0Iranian Journal of Microbiology

Bacterial profile and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of blood culture isolates in pediatric patients at children hospital, Sukkur: a one-year retrospective analysis

  • Waqar Ahmed1
  • Bela Bashir2
  • Samina Naz2
  • Muhammad Kashif1
  • Sajid Ali3
  • Fareeda Bhanbhuro4
  • Fatimah Unar5
  • Sadaruddin Arijo6
  • Zarrish Shabbir2
6 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Pediatric Medicine, Children Hospital Sukkur (SICHN), Sukkur, Pakistan
  2. 2Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Children Hospital Sukkur (SICHN), Sukkur, Pakistan
  3. 3Department of Pediatrics, Ziauddin University Hospital, Sukkur, Pakistan
  4. 4Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Children Hospital Sukkur (SICHN), Sukkur, Pakistan
  5. 5Emergency Department, Children Hospital Sukkur (SICHN), Sukkur, Pakistan
  6. 6Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU), Children Hospital Sukkur (SICHN), Sukkur, Pakistan
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Abstract

Background and Objectives:: Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are an important cause of morbidity and mortality among neonates and children. Increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR), particularly among Gram-negative organisms, complicates empirical antimicrobial therapy. Local antimicrobial susceptibility data are essential for guiding empirical treatment and antimicrobial stewardship.

Materials and Methods:: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted at Children Hospital, Sukkur, Pakistan, from July 2024 to June 2025. Blood culture data from pediatric patients from birth to 14 years of age were reviewed. Only the first positive blood culture from each patient during the study period was included in the primary analysis, while subsequent positive cultures from the same patient were excluded. Organism distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns were analyzed. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) had been performed in the hospital microbiology laboratory according to applicable Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recommendations. Because the retrospective records did not contain sufficient information to reliably confirm the exact AST technique used, the specific susceptibility-testing methodology could not be retrospectively established.

Results:: A total of 11,962 blood cultures were processed during the study period, of which 4,151 (34.7%) were positive. Gram-positive bacteria accounted for 2,276 (54.8%) isolates and Gram-negative bacteria for 1,856 (44.7%). Nineteen (0.5%) positive cultures yielded fungal organisms and were excluded from the bacterial analysis. Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) were the most frequently isolated bacterial organisms, accounting for 2,125 isolates (51.2% of all positive cultures), followed by Klebsiella spp. (526, 12.7%), Serratia spp. (490, 11.8%), and Acinetobacter spp. (259, 6.2%). Gram-negative organisms demonstrated marked resistance to several commonly used antimicrobial agents. Salmonella Typhi demonstrated high susceptibility to azithromycin (93.6%) and meropenem (97.6%), whereas susceptibility to ceftriaxone (43.6%), cefixime (9%), ciprofloxacin (0%), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (15.7%) was low. Vancomycin and linezolid demonstrated 100% susceptibility among the tested CoNS, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus spp. isolates.

Conclusion:: This one-year analysis demonstrates a substantial burden of antimicrobial resistance among pediatric bloodstream isolates at Children Hospital, Sukkur. CoNS were the most frequently isolated organisms; however, this finding should be interpreted cautiously because the clinical and microbiological information required to distinguish true CoNS bacteremia from blood culture contamination was not consistently available. Regular institution-specific antibiogram surveillance, antimicrobial stewardship, and strengthened infection prevention and control measures are warranted.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{ahmed2026bacterial,
  title = {{Bacterial profile and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of blood culture isolates in pediatric patients at children hospital, Sukkur: a one-year retrospective analysis}},
  author = {Waqar Ahmed and Bela Bashir and Samina Naz and Muhammad Kashif and Sajid Ali and Fareeda Bhanbhuro and Fatimah Unar and Sadaruddin Arijo and Zarrish Shabbir},
  journal = {Iranian Journal of Microbiology},
  year = {2026},
  month = nov,
  doi = {10.18502/ijm.v18i5.22861},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.18502/ijm.v18i5.22861},
  note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Bacterial profile and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of blood culture isolates in pediatric patients at children hospital, Sukkur: a one-year retrospective analysis
AU  - Waqar Ahmed
AU  - Bela Bashir
AU  - Samina Naz
AU  - Muhammad Kashif
AU  - Sajid Ali
AU  - Fareeda Bhanbhuro
AU  - Fatimah Unar
AU  - Sadaruddin Arijo
AU  - Zarrish Shabbir
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/11/06
JO  - Iranian Journal of Microbiology
DO  - 10.18502/ijm.v18i5.22861
UR  - https://doi.org/10.18502/ijm.v18i5.22861
AB  - Background and Objectives:: Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are an important cause of morbidity and mortality among neonates and children. Increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR), particularly among Gram-negative organisms, complicates empirical antimicrobial therapy. Local antimicrobial susceptibility data are essential for guiding empirical treatment and antimicrobial stewardship.  Materials and Methods:: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted at Children Hospital, Sukkur, Pakistan, from July 2024 to June 2025. Blood culture data from pediatric patients from birth to 14 years of age were reviewed. Only the first positive blood culture from each patient during the study period was included in the primary analysis, while subsequent positive cultures from the same patient were excluded. Organism distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns were analyzed. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) had been performed in the hospital microbiology laboratory according to applicable Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recommendations. Because the retrospective records did not contain sufficient information to reliably confirm the exact AST technique used, the specific susceptibility-testing methodology could not be retrospectively established.  Results:: A total of 11,962 blood cultures were processed during the study period, of which 4,151 (34.7%) were positive. Gram-positive bacteria accounted for 2,276 (54.8%) isolates and Gram-negative bacteria for 1,856 (44.7%). Nineteen (0.5%) positive cultures yielded fungal organisms and were excluded from the bacterial analysis. Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) were the most frequently isolated bacterial organisms, accounting for 2,125 isolates (51.2% of all positive cultures), followed by Klebsiella spp. (526, 12.7%), Serratia spp. (490, 11.8%), and Acinetobacter spp. (259, 6.2%). Gram-negative organisms demonstrated marked resistance to several commonly used antimicrobial agents. Salmonella Typhi demonstrated high susceptibility to azithromycin (93.6%) and meropenem (97.6%), whereas susceptibility to ceftriaxone (43.6%), cefixime (9%), ciprofloxacin (0%), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (15.7%) was low. Vancomycin and linezolid demonstrated 100% susceptibility among the tested CoNS, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus spp. isolates.  Conclusion:: This one-year analysis demonstrates a substantial burden of antimicrobial resistance among pediatric bloodstream isolates at Children Hospital, Sukkur. CoNS were the most frequently isolated organisms; however, this finding should be interpreted cautiously because the clinical and microbiological information required to distinguish true CoNS bacteremia from blood culture contamination was not consistently available. Regular institution-specific antibiogram surveillance, antimicrobial stewardship, and strengthened infection prevention and control measures are warranted.
SN  - 2008-3289
SN  - 2008-4447
ER  -