ISSN: 0973-7510

E-ISSN: 2581-690X

Research Article | Open Access
Fizza Khalid1 , Christy Poulose1, Azza Elsheikh1, Abid Mahmood1 and Osamah T. Khojah2,3
1Department of Microbiology, MDLab Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
2Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
3Laboratory Department, Chief Medical Officer Office, Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Article Number: 9683 | © The Author(s). 2025
J Pure Appl Microbiol. 2025;19(2):998-1009. https://doi.org/10.22207/JPAM.19.2.03
Received: 30 June 2024 | Accepted: 05 March 2025 | Published online: 28 March 2025
Issue online: June 2025
Abstract

Clinical presentation of bloodstream infection ranges from transitory bacteremia to fulminant septic shock with substantial mortality. Regular monitoring of bacteremia etiology helps rationalize therapy, revealing the spectrum of bacterial infections and their sensitivity pattern in a particular area. In this study, we investigated the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of all bacterial pathogens isolated from blood cultures in a tertiary care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was a retrospective study and data was collected over a period of one year from January 2022 to December 2022, with a total of 3,429 blood cultures requested. Culture positivity was found in 5% of suspected bacteremia cases, with a slight male predominance. Gram-positive bacteremia was 57%, mainly isolated from male patients. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was found in 38% of total Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteremia cases, with all Gram-positive isolates susceptible to vancomycin and linezolid. Escherichia coli (E. coli) was the most common Gram-negative bacteria, while Pseudomonas and Stenotrophomonas species were the main non-fermenting pathogens, accounting for 66.7% of cases. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing Enterobacteriaceae accounts for 17.5% in total with the highest production in Proteus species, whereas 75% of Pseudomonas species were carbapenamase producers. Consequently, the prevalence of multidrug-resistance microorganisms in critically ill individuals may account as a significant threat in hospital settings. Continuous monitoring is essential for comprehending the prevalence of bacteremia and their susceptibility pattern to create successful empirical therapy options and antimicrobial stewardship.

Keywords

Antimicrobial Susceptibility, Bacterial Pathogens, Bacteremia, Blood Culture, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

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© The Author(s) 2025. Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License which permits unrestricted use, sharing, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.