A descriptive study to determine the bacterial flora and antibiotic sensitivity of lower respiratory tract in tracheostomised patients

Kulkarni Manik Rao; Panchami .

doi:10.18203/issn.2454-5929.ijohns20201286

Authors

Kulkarni Manik Rao Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Combined Hospitals of MCH, Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences, Ballari, Karnataka, India
Panchami . Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Combined Hospitals of MCH, Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences, Ballari, Karnataka, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/issn.2454-5929.ijohns20201286

Keywords:

Tracheostomy, Stridor, Tracheitis, Tracheobronchitis

Abstract

Background: Tracheostomy is one of the commonest operations performed by an otorhinolaryngologist for various indications and in different age groups and tracheo-bronchitis is a common complication in tracheostomised patients. This study designed to determine the bacterial flora and antibiotic sensitivity of lower respiratory tract following tracheostomy in hospitalized patients.

Methods: This is a descriptive study of 50 tracheostomised patients carried out from December 2017 to May 2019, at VIMS Ballari.

Results: Stridor was the most common indication for tracheostomy (70%). Tracheal aspirate was sent for bacterial culture and sensitivity on day 0, 1 week and 3 weeks post tracheostomy. Majority of the patients showed no growth in the day 0 and 3weeks post tracheostomy bacterial cultures of the tracheal aspirate. Bacterial cultures yielded growth in majority of the patients in the 1-week post tracheostomy cultures. The sensitivity pattern, intermediate response pattern and resistance pattern to the first line antibiotics that are regularly used in our hospital were studied in all the 3 samples of tracheal aspirates that were sent for bacterial culture from all the 50 tracheostomised patients.

Conclusions: It is a good practice to send the tracheal aspirate for culture and sensitivity following Tracheostomy. If the patient is started on suitable antibiotics based on the culture postoperative recovery will be hastened, risk of postoperative infections like tracheitis, tracheobrochitis, stoma site infection and other lower respiratory tract infections can be reduced.

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