A Comparative Study on Assessment of Empiric Antibiotic Susceptibility Rates between Traditional and Syndromic Antibiogram

Background: Antibiogram serves as a crucial tool for providing guidance in empiric therapy. Most of the hospitals rely on Traditional Antibiograms (TA) for prescribing antibiotics. But recognizing the importance of Syndromic Antibiograms (SA) and integrating it into clinical practice enhances the effectiveness of empiric antibiotic therapy. It is crucial for the Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (AMSPs) to extend their approach beyond the TA. Purpose: This prospective study was aimed to compare the susceptibility rates between a traditional and syndromic antibiogram for the most common organisms. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital, Chennai for a period of 6 months. SA’s were developed and compared with TA to analyze the antibiotic susceptibility of the most common pathogens associated with Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), Respiratory Tract Infection (RTI) and Blood Stream Infection (BSI). The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. Results: A total of 400 bacterial isolates were examined. The three most frequently identified organisms were Escherichia coli (E. coli), streptococci and Salmonella typhi. The cumulative susceptibilities of these bacteria were compared using both TA and SA. A significant difference was found in the susceptibility rate of E. coli and streptococci species for fosfomycin, amikacin, nitrofurantoin, ampicillin and doxycycline between TA and SA. Conclusion: Our study clearly depicted the variations in isolated microorganism’s susceptibility rate between a syndromic and traditional antibiogram. These differences may be significant, not only for selecting most effective empirical antimicrobial therapy for a patient but also helps in monitoring the resistance pattern of antibiotics to certain organisms within an institution.