Abstract:

Background: Intensive care units are the most frequently affected areas by infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii. Due to its rapid development of antimicrobial resistance, causes serious therapeutic problems. The aim of this study is to determine antibiotic susceptibilities of A. baumannii strains isolated from intensive care units over a four-year period. Materials and Methods: A. baumannii strains isolated from various samples sent from intensive care units to the medical microbiology laboratory between January 2018 and December 2021 were included in the study. Bacterial identification and antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed using standard microbiological met-hods and automated systems. Antibiotic resistance data from 2018 to 2021 were compared using the Chi-square and Fisher's Exact test, and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 1900 A. baumannii strains were included in the study. These strains were most commonly isolated from tracheal aspirate culture samples (1011; 53%). Among the intensive care units, it was determined that it was most frequently isolated from the Anesthesiology and Reanimation intensive care unit (697; 37%). When comparing the years 2018 and 2021, an increase in antibiotic resistance was observed in A. baumannii. The most significant resistance increase was found in amikacin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and levof-loxacin (p<0.001). Conclusions: Our study revealed high antibiotic resistance among A. baumannii strains. Regular monitoring and reporting of antibiotic susceptibility results will enable physicians to establish antibiotic usage policies and take infection control measures.