A Study on Bacteriological Profile and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern of Infections in Hospitalised Children with Nephrotic Syndrome

INTRODUCTION: Children with Nephrotic Syndrome are at increased risk of infection due to the disease and also due to the immuosuppresants administered during the course of treatment. Infections result in significant morbidity and may also be responsible for a poor response to steroid therapy or induce relapse in a child with Nephrotic Syndrome.Common infections being urinary tract infections, acute respiratory tract infections, cutaneous infections, peritonitis, sepsis .Although antibiotics reduce the mortality due to infection ,infection still remains the major cause of death in children with Nephrotic syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Various Samples of Urine, Blood and Throat swab were collected under aseptic precautions in children with Nephrotic syndrome after getting informed consent from the parents/ guardian and processed accordingly. All the bacterial isolates obtained from the samples were identified by standard bacteriological techniques and were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility pattern using Kirby–Bauer Disc diffusion Method. RESULTS: Out of 100 patients UTI was present in 35% of the children and Acute upper respiratory tract infection was present in 9% of the children. Escherichia coli was the commonest organism to be isolated in urine and was 100% sensitive to Trimethoprim- sulphamethoxazole, Piperacillin-Tazobactam, Tetracycline and Imipenem. ESBL producers were 17% among the Enterobactericeae in urine. Staphylococus aureus (MSSA) was the commonest organism to be isolated in Throat swab which was100% sensitive to Penicillin, Erythromycin, Gentamycin, ciprofloxacin, Trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole, Tetracycline, chloramphenicol and Vancomycin. CONCLUSION: Infections in Nephrotic syndrome should be diagnosed earlier and treated with appropriate antibiotics so that prolonged Remission and Relapse can be prevented