Cefepime Resistance among Escherichia coli Isolates from Clinical Specimens in Mayo Hospital, Lahore

Abstract

In this study, a total of sixty clinical samples of blood, pus, urine, HVS, and miscellaneous were collected from patients and examined for microbiological evaluation and cefepime (fourth-generation cephalosporin) susceptibility pattern at Mayo Hospital, Lahore. Gram staining and various morphological, as well as biochemical tests, were performed to identify Escherichia coli. The antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial isolates against cefepime was determined by the disk diffusion method. The results revealed that among sixty purified E.coli isolates, 53% (n=32) were resistant while 47% (n=28) showed sensitivity towards Cefepime. The bacterial isolates from lower age group patients showed higher resistance. Higher resistance of E. coli against cefepime among females (58%) than males (42%) was found. These findings suggest that some mechanism or genetic mutations are there which inducing resistance in E.coli towards antibiotics. There is an urgent need to control such alarming resistance. Education programs and improving the hygienic measures are necessary to prevent contamination with E. coli and minimize the use of cephalosporin antibiotics.