One year experience of Achromobacter bacteremia at a tertiary care hospital in Northern India

INTRODUCTION. Achromobacter is a Gram-negative, motile, obligate aerobic and non-fermentative bacterium. It is an emerging pathogen in the hospital environment as it is frequently found in various solutions. HYPOTHESIS/GAP STATEMENT. Information about the incidence and risk factors of Achromobacter bacteremia from India is limited. AIM. We conducted this study to identify the risk factors and underlying conditions predisposing to bacteremia by Achromobacter spp. and analyse the antibiotic resistance pattern of the isolates. METHODOLOGY. We performed a retrospective observational study where automated blood cultures positive for Achromobacter spp. were assessed for clinical characteristics and antibiotic susceptibility patterns from January 2022 to December 2022 in the microbiology laboratory of a tertiary care centre in Northern India. RESULTS. A total of 14 cases (14/2435, 0.57 %) of Achromobacter spp. were identified from bloodstream infections in one year. The mean age of the patients was 37.59±23.17 years with a male predominance (8/14, 57.1 %). All patients were managed on intravenous antibiotics and intravenous access as peripheral line catheters and only 5(5/14, 35.7 %) patients were managed on central line catheters. The isolates were found highly susceptible to ticarcillin-clavulanic acid (14/14, 100.0 %) followed by fluoroquinolones (12/14, 85.72 %) and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (12/14, 85.72 %). Only 57.14 % (8/14, 57.14 %) of the patients were susceptible to piperacillin-tazobactam. The all-cause 40 day mortality was observed in 35.7 % (5/14, 35.7 %) with two deaths that were directly attributable to sepsis. CONCLUSION. This study provides insight into the incidence of Achromobacter bacteremia at our centre and the necessary antibiotic therapy to combat it.