Phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility profile of clinical Enterobacteriaceae isolates from Kaduna State, northwest Nigeria.

The increasing resistance of clinical isolates to commonly prescribed antibiotics has been reported around the world. Data are generally lacking on the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility profile of clinical isolates from Kaduna, northwest Nigeria. This study thus aimed to determine the diversity and antibiotic resistance profile of clinical isolates recovered from clinical specimens from patients admitted to two selected healthcare institutions in Kaduna. This was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted between September and December 2021. Non-duplicate clinical bacterial isolates recovered from various specimens were collected and identified using rapid biochemical identification kits. The susceptibility of identified to various antibiotics and phenotypic detection of carbapenemase enzymes were thereafter determined. The data were analysed and visualized using R software version 4.3.1. Of the 500 bacterial isolates recovered from specimens collected for the purpose of clinical bacteriology diagnostics, 108 (21.6 %) were identified as , with (52, 48.1 %) and (19, 17.6 %) being the most prevalent. The isolates exhibited high resistance to azithromycin (69 %) and ceftazidime (42 %), while exhibiting low resistance to amikacin (7 %) and imipenem (10 %). Among the carbapenem-resistant (CRE) isolates, a significant proportion (12/17, 70.6 %) tested positive for carbapenemase activity. This study reports a high prevalence of multidrug-resistant in Kaduna, northwest Nigeria. The emergence of pathogenic and an alarmingly high prevalence of carbapenemase-producing CRE were also observed. The presence of carbapenemase producers in an area with low carbapenem usage and resistance rates raises significant concerns. Continuous surveillance and robust antibiotic stewardship policies are imperative to preserve the efficacy of carbapenems in this region.