ESBLs producing Enterobacteriaceae in critical care areas – a clinical and cost analysis from a tertiary health care centre

Objective: ESBLs pose a major threat in clinical therapeutics. In the present study we have tried to do clinical analysis of one hundred ESBLs producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates from various clinical specimens from patients admitted in critical care areas. Methods: ESBLs detection was done by CLSI, DDS and Vitek methods. Clinical analysis of each patient was done by regularly visiting in CCA and reviewing patient’s status and medical records. Results: All of the 13 patients on foley’s catheter grew ESBLs positive isolates and amongst 10 non catheterized patients, 9 grew ESBLs negative isolates. Thirteen out of 14 patients on CVP/arterial line grew ESBLs positive isolates. Out of 24 patients who underwent surgery, 22 grew ESBLs positive isolate. Forty seven out of 68 patients who were on 3rd or 4th generation cephalosporins within last 1 month of giving the sample grew ESBLs positive isolates. Conclusion: We have found a statistically significant (p<0.0.05) relationship in between foley’s catheterization and production of ESBLs from urinary isolates. There was no statistically significant association in between CVP/arterial line and blood culture isolates. We did not find difference in mortality rates in between patients infected with ESBLs positive or negative isolates. The mortality in patients was associated with their primary illness or associated co-morbid conditions. We found that the detection of ESBLs is important for the de-escalation of therapy thereby saving net cost of treatment.