A retrospective comparative study of empirical antibiotic treatment of hospital-acquired pneumonia at a tertiary care hospital in South India

Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (HAP) continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality among hospitalised patients despite the introduction of broad spectrum antimicrobial agents, complex supportive modalities and the use of preventive measures. There is a paucity of data on HAP from India. Patients aged 18 years or older admitted to Kasturba Hospital, a tertiary care hospital in Manipal, Karnataka during the period 01/01/2005 through 31/12/2007 and diagnosed to have HAP were included in this retrospective comparative study. We identified 200 patients with HAP, who fit the inclusion and exclusion criteria during the study period. Common isolates included Pseudomonas aeruginosa (30%), MRSA (17%) and Acinetobacter spp. (15.5%). The most frequently used antibiotic regimens were Piperacillin-Tazobactam (32%), Ciprofloxacin-Amikacin (12.5%), Meropenem (11%) and Levofloxacin (10.5%).