Role of aminoglycosides in management of ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae: A report from a tertiary care hospital in Jaipur

Background and Aim: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is considered as a sub-category of healthcare-associated infections and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Acinetobacter baumannii complex and Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) are known to be the most important causes. During the last few decades, polymyxins have represented the most commonly used antimicrobial options against multidrug resistant K. pneumoniae. However, in some cases, aminoglycosides were also found to be effective. Materials and Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Jaipur from June' 2020 to June' 2021. All endotracheal (ET) aspirate samples from the clinically suspected cases of VAP received in microbiology laboratory were processed using the standard procedures and relevant medical records were reviewed. VITEK 2 automated system was used for the bacterial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Results: Out of 705 ET aspirate samples received during the study period, 467 were found culture positive. Majority 304 (98.1%) were Gram-negative isolates, while only 6 (1.9%) were Gram-positive. 156;51.3% isolates belonged to A. baumannii complex, followed by K. pneumoniae (73;24.0%). Antimicrobial susceptibility profile of 73 K. pneumoniae isolates to aminoglycosides was noted. Out of 73 isolates, 42 were found to be resistant to both gentamicin and amikacin, 12 isolates were sensitive to both, while 19 isolates showed variable susceptibility. Conclusion: K. pneumoniae is an important causative agent of VAP. While polymyxins have an important role in the management of such cases, aminoglycosides need to be given a careful consideration. They can constitute an effective polymyxin sparing regimen, especially for carbapenem-resistant isolates.