Background: Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) is the most common respiratory tract infection in day to day practice. The knowledge of organism commonly causative of CAP helps in early empirical treatment initiation.
Aim: To study the microbiological profile of patients with community acquired pneumonia and to study drug sensitivity pattern.
Methods: Hospital based cross sectional study among 100 patients with CAP was conducted in a tertiary care hospital of Southern India. Sputum culture showed that out of 100 patients 39 had an identifiable etiology with 12 patients having evidence of mixed infection.
Result: Micro-organisms isolated in sputum culture were Streptococcus pneumoniae (31%) followed by, Pseudomonas pyogens (15%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (13%). AFB smear was found to be positive in 6 patients. Organisms were found to be sensitive for piperacillin plus tazobactum (41%), aminoglycocides (amikacin-46%, gentamicin-31%), third generation cephalosporins (Cefotaxim-36%, Ceftriaxone-18%) and macrolides (Erythromicin-31%, Azithromycin-18%). Sensitivity to chloramphenicol was observed in 31% sputum culture positive patients. Ciprofloxacin sensitivity was seen among 49%.
Conclusion: Most of the organisms were found to be sensitive to monotherapy with extended spectrum beta lactamases, third generation cephalosporins, fluroquinolones, macrolides.
Keywords: Coastal southern india; Community acquired pneumonia; Drug sensitivity; Microbiological profile.