Abstract
Introduction:
Emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat and significantly affects the treatment options for common infectious diseases. Inappropriate use of antibiotics, particularly third-generation cephalosporins, has contributed to the development of AMR. This study aims to determine the prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production in
Methods:
This cross-sectional study was conducted at International Friendship Children’s Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal, from August 2017 to January 2018. A total of 1443 samples that included urine, pus, wound swab, endotracheal tip, catheter tip, and blood were collected from pediatric patients below 15 years and processed by standard microbiological methods. Following sufficient incubation, isolates were identified by colony morphology, gram staining, and necessary biochemical tests. Identified bacterial isolates were then tested for antibiotic susceptibility test by modified Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method and were subjected to ESBL screening by using 30 µg cefotaxime and ceftazidime. The ESBL production was confirmed by combination disk method.
Results:
From a total of 103 nonduplicated clinical isolates,
Conclusions:
A high prevalence of multidrug-resistant ESBL organisms was found in this study among pediatric patients. Treatment based on their routine identification and susceptibility to specific antibiotics is critical to halt the spread of AMR and ESBL.
Keywords
Introduction
Commonly used antimicrobial agents against these pathogens are tetracycline, β-lactams, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, and cotrimoxazole. However, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among Enterobacteriaceae has increased dramatically in recent years, limiting the therapeutic options. Isolates that are not susceptible to at least 3 or more groups of antimicrobials are known as multidrug resistant (MDR) organisms. 5
Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) are class A β-lactamases, a rapidly evolving group of β-lactamases with the ability to hydrolyze and cause resistance to the oxy-imino cephalosporins (cefotaxime, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, cefuroxime, and cefepime) and monobactams (aztreonam).
6
ESBL-producing
Several studies in the past have investigated the prevalence of ESBL organisms among inpatients, mostly focused in adult patients.11-13 Studies have shown the varying prevalence of ESBL organisms, for instance, the prevalence was 27.7% in Pokhara,
11
18% in Kathmandu,
14
43% in pediatric hospital in Kathmandu.
15
Another study reported 35.9% ESBL in
Although it is deemed to be essential to have a routine diagnosis and monitoring of ESBL-producing clinical isolates in clinical laboratories, ESBL screening as a routine test has not yet been practiced in Nepal.
16
In addition, very few studies have reported on ESBL-producing clinical isolates from pediatric patients in Nepal. Only 1 study in the past has reported ESBLs (prevalence: 38.9%) from urine samples in pediatric patients from a tertiary teaching hospital in Kathmandu.
17
Expanding and building on the previous research, this study focused to isolate both
Methods
Study design, area, and sample population
This was a cross-sectional study conducted at International Friendship Children’s Hospital, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal, during August 2017 to January 2018. The study population comprised children below 15 years attending the hospital for treatment.
The specimens were collected adhering to a standard protocol from pediatric patients below 15 years of age. Children who attended the hospital for treatment and provided assent (from parents) or consent for the study were included in the study. Children who had chronic diseases such as leukemia, malnutrition, and neuropsychiatric disorders based on the diagnosis made by clinicians, including if they were initiated with the antibiotic treatment after the admission, were excluded.
A total of 1443 different samples that included urine (n = 1050), pus (n = 50), wound swabs (n = 40), endotracheal tip (n = 83), catheter tip (n = 40), and blood (n = 140) were collected and processed by standard microbiological methods. 18
Sample collection and transport
Special measures were taken to collect the urine samples from children who were not able to use toilet on their own. An adhesive, sealed, sterile collection bag was placed underneath the genitalia to collect urine sample. Toilet-trained children were requested to collect mid-stream urine assisted by their parents in a sterile, dry, wide-necked, and leak-proof container. In either condition, genitalia were cleansed with alcohol swab to reduce contamination.
In the case of infected wounds, in addition to wound swab, pus was aspirated in syringe by trained medical personnel. In case pus was not discharging, cotton swab was gently rolled over the surface of the wound approximately 5 times, focusing on areas where there was evidence of pus or inflamed tissue. Two swabs were taken from each patient, one for culture and another for direct gram staining.
About 2 mL of blood from children was withdrawn and dispensed into sterile screw capped culture bottles containing BHI (brain heart infusion) broth. Specimens were collected from other sources such as endotracheal and catheter tips by trained medical personnel. The collected samples were labeled properly and were immediately delivered to a laboratory for further processing. When immediate delivery was not possible, the specimens were refrigerated at 4°C to 6°C. 19
Laboratory examinations of samples
Culture
For processing of each sample, microbiological protocols were followed according to standard microbiological guidelines.18,20
Urine sample: Using a sterile calibrated loop, urine sample was inoculated on MacConkey agar (MA) and blood agar (BA), and then incubated aerobically at 37°C for 24 hours. Colony count was made, and positive result was considered for plates showing more than or equal to 105 colony forming units (CFU)/mL of urine based on Kass, Marple, and Sanford criteria. 20
Blood sample: Blood sample was incubated on BHI broth for 7 days at 37°C. Bottles showing turbidity during the period were subcultured aerobically in MA and BA at 37°C for 24 to 48 hours.
Pus, wound swab specimens were inoculated into MA and BA plate sand incubated at 37°C overnight.
Other specimens: Endotracheal and catheter tips were first incubated on BHI broth at 37°C for 24 hours and subcultured on MA and BA plates and incubated at 37°C overnight.
Identification of E. coli and Klebsiella spp
Presumptive identification of
Antibiotic susceptibility testing
All identified isolates of
Screening and confirmation of ESBL producers
Bacterial isolates exhibiting reduced susceptibility to ceftazidime (30 μg), cefotaxime (30 µg), ceftazidime (30 µg), and aztreonam (30 μg) were considered as potential ESBL producers. The ESBL production was further phenotypically confirmed by combination disk method as described by CLSI 2014. The disk used was cefotaxime and ceftazidime alone and cefotaxime and ceftazidime in combination with clavulanic acid. A ⩾5 mm increase in growth inhibition zone for any antimicrobial associated with clavulanic acid in comparison with the inhibition zone of antibiotic tested alone confirmed ESBL production. 21
Quality control
Each batch of media and reagents was subjected to sterility and performance testing. During antibiotic susceptibility test, quality control was done using the control strains of
Data management and statistical analysis
Data were entered and analyzed by using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, USA). Descriptive and inferential statistics were analyzed.
Results
Prevalence of bacterial isolates
A total of 1443 different clinical specimens were processed during the study, of which 299 (20.7%) samples showed bacterial growth. Of the 299 isolates, 79 (26.4%), 18 (6.0%), and 6 (2%) were identified as
Distribution of bacterial isolates in various clinical specimens of children.
Antibiotic susceptibility pattern of bacterial isolates
Among 103 bacterial isolates, 90.3% (n = 93) were found to be susceptible to imipenem, followed by piperacillin/tazobactam (88.3%; n = 91), nitrofurantoin (85.5%; n = 88), and amikacin (82.5%; n = 85). Most
Antibiotic susceptibility pattern of bacterial isolates (
MDR profile in bacterial isolate
Among the total of 103 bacterial isolates, 62.1% (64/103) were found to be MDR; the highest MDR strains were detected in

MDR profile in bacterial isolates.
ESBL production among E coli and Klebsiella spp
Among 103
ESBL production profile among
Abbreviation: ESBL, extended spectrum β-lactamase.
Distribution of ESBL producers according to different age of patient
Among the 103 isolates, 77.7% (n = 80) were isolated from children ⩽5 years age, followed by 6 to 10 years age group children (15.5%; n = 16). Of 103 bacterial isolates, 28.1% (n = 29) were ESBL producers and the most (82.8%; n = 24) were isolated from children ⩽5 years of age. There was no association between ESBL producers and age of patients (
Distribution of ESBL according to sex and age of children.
Abbreviation: ESBL, extended spectrum β-lactamase.
χ2 test.
Distribution of ESBL producers in different wards of hospitals
Of 29 isolates of ESBL producers, 51.7% (n = 15) were from inpatients, whereas 48.3% (n = 14) were from outpatient department. There was no significant association between ESBL production and type of the patients (
Distribution of ESBL producers in different wards of hospitals.
Abbreviations: ESBL, extended spectrum β-lactamase; ICU, intensive care unit; OPD, outpatient department.
χ2 test.
Antibiotic susceptible pattern of ESBL producers
All of ESBL producers’ isolates were found to be resistant toward cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, and ampicillin. Most ESBL producers were found to be susceptible toward imipenem (89.7%; 26/29), nitrofurantoin (82.8%; 24/29), piperacillin/tazobactam (79.3%; 23/29), and amikacin (72.4%; 21/29) (Figure 2).

Antibiotic susceptibility pattern of ESBL producers.
Discussion
Overall findings
This study found the high prevalence (>60%) of MDR bacteria in clinical specimens isolated from the tertiary care hospital of children in Kathmandu valley. Among MDR isolates, half of the isolates were ESBL producers. Most ESBL-producing isolates were found to be resistant toward cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, and ampicillin. Similar findings were reported in previous studies in different clinical settings of Nepal.12,17,22,23
Most isolates (>80%) in this study were found susceptible to imipenem, piperacillin/tazobactam, and amikacin. The high efficacy of amikacin and imipenem against
Most isolates (77.5%) were resistant to ampicillin and more than half of the cephalosporin group of antibiotics. Similar findings were observed in a tertiary hospital in Pokhara, Nepal.
11
This type of resistance could be due to the production of several β-lactamase enzymes. As ampicillin is the first-line β-lactam drug for Enterobacteriaceae, it can be easily hydrolyzed by β-lactamase enzymes. Resistance to fluoroquinolones is due to mutation at the target site, ie,
The AMR, including MDR, is a global problem, and its burden varies between the regions; however, low- and middle-income countries share a disproportionate burden due to multitude of factors embedded in the characteristics of the health system, policy, and the practice.
27
Moreover, MDR pathogens are more common in hospital settings and are mostly of nosocomial origin which is often difficult to treat.
28
MDR pose a major threat in the management of uropathogens.29-31 More than two-thirds of the isolates in this study were MDR, mostly being
Most ESBL organisms were susceptible to imipenem, piperacillin/tazobactam, amikacin, and nitrofurantoin. However, ESBL producers were resistant to ampicillin and cephalosporin group of antibiotics. These findings are consistent with similar studies reported from Nepal.11,33,37-39 The high proportion of resistance to third-generation cephalosporins reported for
Increasing spectrum of ESBL drug-resistant bacterial isolates can cause major problems for physicians in choosing from the available therapeutic options, if these organisms are not routinely isolated. Reporting of ESBL-producing isolates from clinical samples is thus critical for the clinicians to select appropriate antibiotics for the treatment, including to take proper precaution to prevent the spread of these resistant organisms to other patients.
Strengths and limitations
This study will be a useful reference for future studies to explore and expand on the wider prevalence of ESBL organisms in clinical and nonclinical settings. As our study was based on phenotypic detection of AMR and ESBL production that excluded identification and characterization of wide sorts of lactamases and pathogenic strains, genotypic characterization is recommended in future studies.
Implications for AMR and its control
This study has identified one of the major determinants of burgeoning AMR in Nepal. All antibiotics are available over the counter (OTC) in Nepal without medical prescriptions, and this is a major challenge as it contributes to antibiotic pressure and development of resistance.27,41 The availability of OTC antibiotics and its consumption before arriving to hospitals may also confound the clinical presentation, including general culture and sensitivity tests. 27 Thus, cautious evaluation of preceding treatment history, combined with strong suspicion for ESBL and MDR and its diagnosis, may inform the appropriate treatment.11,16 The findings in this study warrant a relevant stakeholder’s engagement to strengthen the health policy to rationalize the use of antibiotics, including promoting diagnostic-based antibiotic prescriptions. 42 Specifically, in pediatric patients with UTIs, it is critical to establish the diagnosis of ESBL organisms before initiating the antibiotic treatment.
Conclusion
A high prevalence of MDR ESBL organisms was found among pediatric patients in this study. Identification of ESBL producers in routine treatment of infectious diseases in pediatric patients can reduce unnecessary and inappropriate antimicrobial use. Hospitals treating infectious diseases can benefit by integrating antimicrobial stewardship programs to combat the emergence of AMR and ESBLs.
Footnotes
Acknowledgements
We would like to express our sincere gratitude and admiration to all the staffs and faculties of Central Department of Microbiology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, and International Friendship Children’s Hospital, Kathmandu, for their support and guidance to complete this study. We are thankful to pediatric patients and their parents to support in the study.
Author Contributions
All the authors made substantial contribution to the study. K.K. and B.D. conceived and designed the study. K.K. collected samples, investigated, and recorded the laboratory findings. K.R.R., S.K., M.R.B., and P.G. advised and formulated the methodology for the study. K.R.R. and B.A. are responsible for reviewing several versions of the article. Others helped to review and amend this article. All authors read and approved the final article.
Funding:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported by Departmental fund of Central Department of Microbiology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu.
Declaration of conflicting interests:
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Availability of Data and Materials
All data pertaining to this study are within the article.
Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate
Institutional Review Committee of Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) approved this research. Written consent was applicable to literate people while verbal consent was approached for the rest subjects. Parents/Guardians were interviewed in case of children. Strict adherence to the ethical guidelines was taken, and we declare that this research is free from selection bias.
