Introduction: The aim of our study was to determine the epidemiological profile and the antibiotics susceptibility of bacteria identified in blood culture in the intensive care unit, to improve empirical antibiotherapy.
Material and method: A retrospective study was made over a four-year period (2002-2005) in the intensive care unit of the Mohammed-V Military Hospital. It included all the bacteria identified in blood culture.
Results: During this period, we collected 286 isolates, Gram-negative bacilli 49.3% and Gram-positive cocci 46.85%. The most frequently identified species were Acinetobacter baumannii (13.63%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (12.6%), Staphylococcus aureus (11.9%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (7%). Enterobacteriaceae accounted for 25.54%: Klebsiella pneumoniae 7%, and Enterobacter cloacae 7%. The rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was 52.94 % and coagulase negative staphylococci 60.24%. No resistance to glycopeptides was observed. Enterobacteriaceae were resistant to third generation cephalosporins in 42.6 % and had a broad-spectrum betalactamase phenotype in 18%. The resistance rate of A. baumannii was 68.7% for ceftazidime and 31.4% for imipenem. The resistance rate of P. aeruginosa to the third generation cephalosporines and the imipenem were respectively 16.6% and 10.5%.
Conclusion: A regular epidemiologic study of blood culture isolates and determination of susceptibility to antibiotics are necessary to improve empiric therapy.