Antimicrobial resistance trends among dominant pathogens in six clinical departments of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, 2020-2024.

OBJECTIVE

A review of antibiotic resistance and pathogen detection in six key clinical departments of our hospital was conducted between 2020 and 2024. Future hospital-acquired infection prevention, control strategies, and targeted medicine administration in relevant departments can be based on this study.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of bacterial isolates collected from six clinical departments in our hospital over the past 5 years, focusing on the number, distribution, and changing trends in antibiotic resistance rates among common infections.

RESULTS

22,201 pathogenic bacterial strains were found in six departments over 5 years. Acinetobacter baumannii was the most common pathogen in the Intensive Care Unit. Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine; Escherichia coli in Hematology; Haemophilus influenzae in Pediatrics; Escherichia coli in Orthopedics; Klebsiella pneumoniae in Neurosurgery. While Haemophilus influenzae showed increasing trends, the proportion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa among annually detected pathogens showed downward annual fluctuations (p < 0.05 for both); no significant linear variations were seen in prominent pathogens across other departments. The multidrug resistance rates of Acinetobacter baumannii remained consistently high. Klebsiella pneumoniae showed aberrant oscillations in amikacin resistance (p < 0.001) and significantly elevated resistance to cefotaxime and levofloxacin. Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa continued to exhibit low-to-moderate resistance rates to three antibiotics, with no discernible trends (p > 0.05). Haemophilus influenzae showed no resistance to ofloxacin or cefotaxime. The Intensive Care Unit had the highest resistance burden (p ≤ 0.002). The departments of Hematology, Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, and Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine are at an intermediate level; Pediatrics has the lowest burden of drug resistance.

CONCLUSION

The distribution of infectious pathogens in our hospital varies significantly by department. The associated antibiotic resistance profiles reveal a considerable burden in high-risk departments, and some resistance patterns are worsening over time. These findings point to an urgent need for targeted, department-specific antimicrobial stewardship and infection control strategies.