Infectious Disease Burden and Antibiotic Resistance Patterns among Cancer Patients: A Hospital-Based Study

Introduction: Cancer patients often come across infections, which disturb their treatment regimen and raise the chances for serious complications. Aim of Study: To study the microbiological profile of infections and antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates obtained from cancer patients. Material & Methods: In one-year cross sectional study, samples of clinically suspected cancer patients for infections were collected and processed as per standard protocol using ELISA [Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay], VITEK-2 system and CBNAAT [Cartridge Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test] as per requisition. Results: Among 322 patients, 44% developed infections, including 128 [90%] bacterial, 17 [12%] viral infection, 9 [6.3%] fungal and 1 [0.7%] parasitic. Blood stream [32%] and urinary tract infections [30%] were predominant. Among 183 isolates, E. coli [47%] and Klebsiella spp. [47%] were the most common. Most of the Gram-negative bacteria were seen susceptible to colistin and tigecycline and Gram-positive isolates to linezolid, vancomycin, teicoplanin. Out of 183 isolates, MDR, XDR and PDR [71%, 40.4%, 3.3%] were observed respectively. Among all, 60% of infections were community-acquired, and 40% were hospital-acquired. A significant association of infections was seen with haematological malignancy and poor outcome of the patients. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the importance of regular microbial surveillance for better treatment strategies among cancer patients.