Title: COPD: Microbial Pattern in Acute Exacerbation in Tertiary Care
Authors: Muthukumar Shunmugam, Joseph Pratheeban, Chandrashekar Madhu, Lekshmi Reghunath
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v4i12.124
Abstract
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide.
The natural history of COPD is characterized by frequent exacerbations. Majority of exacerbations are infectious and knowledge on the pattern of infectious bacteria and their antibiotic sensitivity is essential to formulate cost-effective antibiotic strategy and reducing the emergence of drug resistance. Fifty sputum samples from clinically diagnosed COPD cases suffering from acute exacerbation were collected to isolate and identify the aerobic bacterial agents causing acute exacerbations in COPD patients, to study the antibiotic sensitivity patterns of the isolates and phenotypic detection of ESBL production by the isolates. Preparation of media, reagents, Gram staining, identification of culture isolates, different tests including antibiotic sensitivity tests were carried out following standard laboratory procedures. Klebsiella pneumonia and Escherichia coli were the commonest bacteria isolated followed by Pseudomonas, Citrobacter and anaerobic species (5). All the isolates of K.pneumoniae were ESBL producers. Periodic isolation and identification and resistant status of pathogens causing AECOPD will help us to formulate appropriate treatment protocol and this will be of immense use in reducing mortality and morbidity besides reducing the volume of antibiotics and development of resistance to antibiotics.(6)
KEYWORDS: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; Antibiotic sensitivity; Pathogenic microbes; ESBL producers.
