Aerobic Bacterial Profile and Their Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns of Sterile Body Fluids Among Patients at Hiwot Fana Specialized University Hospital, Harar, Eastern Ethiopia

Tadesse Shume, Tewodros Tesfa, Shambel Mekonnen, Haftu Asmerom, Fikru Tebeje, Fitsum Weldegebreal Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health and Medical Science, Haramaya University, Harar, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Tadesse Shume, Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health and Medical Science, Haramaya University, P.O.Box 235, Harar, Ethiopia, Email tadeshume15@gmail.comBackground: Infections of sterile body fluids are susceptible to serious invasive bacterial infections and critical, with high morbidity and sequelae risk. This study has not been conducted previously in eastern Ethiopia.Objective: The present study was designed to determine the bacterial profile, associated factors, and their susceptibility to antimicrobial agents of isolates among patients with sterile body fluids at Hiwot Fana Specialized University Hospital, Harar, Eastern Ethiopia.Methods: Hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2021 among 204 patients selected using a convenient sampling technique. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire. All consenting patients submitting body fluid specimens for testing at the clinical laboratory were included and analyzed using standard microbiology methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the disk diffusion method and interpreted as per Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. Data were double entered into Epi data version 4.6, exported, and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science version 25. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were used to assess the association between outcome and predictor variables. P-value < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.Results: The overall prevalence of bacteria among different sterile body fluid samples was 16.7% (95% CI: 12– 22%). Most of the bacterial isolates (70.6%) were Gram-negative bacteria, mainly K. pneumoniae (26.5%) and E. coli (20.6%). Multidr