Retrospective Analysis of Bacterial Meningitis Agents and Their Antimicrobial Susceptibility, in a 5-Year Period

Objective: Central nervous system infections cause high morbidity and mortality all over the world. Complications of bacterial meningitis can be reduced with early diagnosis and appropriate antimicrobial therapy. In our study, it was aimed to contribute to the surveillance data by examining the cerebrospinal fluid cultures of the last 5 years and analyzing the bacterial meningitis causative microorganism profiles and antimicrobial resistance status.

Methods: The culture results of the patients whose cerebrospinal fluid samples were sent to the microbiology laboratory of our hospital between January 2016 and December 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. Isolated bacterial strains were identified using the automated Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (BioMérieux, France) system. Antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates was evaluated by the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method, colistin susceptibility was studied by broth microdilution method, and carbapenem susceptibility was evaluated by gradient diffusion method, in accordance with the recommendations of the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing.

Results: Two thousand eighty-eight cerebrospinal fluid culture samples were sent to our laboratory during a 5-year period in our hospital. One hundred seventy-seven bacteria were isolated from samples of 158 (7.6%) patients. Seventy-two (40.7%) of the isolated bacteria were gram-negative and 105 (59.3%) were gram-positive. Acinetobacter baumannii (19.8%) was the most common among gram-negative bacteria and Klebsiella pneumoniae (7.3%) was the second most common. Colistin resistance was determined in 2 A. baumannii and 1 K. pneumoniae strains. Among gram-positive bacteria, the most common coagulase-negative staphylococci (40.1%), Staphylococcus aureus (7.9%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (6.7%) were detected. Methicillin resistance was found in 67.6% of coagulase-negative staphylococci, 35.7% of Staphylococcus aureus isolates, and vancomycin resistance in 3 enterococci.

Conclusions: Determining the microorganisms causing bacterial meningitis and their antimicrobial resistance profile will be helpful in the surveillance studies to be carried out in our hospital and region. In addition, we believe that it will contribute positively to mortality and morbidity by guiding the treatment protocols for bacterial meningitis cases in our hospital.

Cite this article as: Gündüz NB, Duman Y, Tekerekoğlu MS. Retrospective analysis of bacterial meningitis agents and their antimicrobial susceptibility, in a 5-year period. Arch Basic Clin Res 2022;4(2):62-67.