Isolation, Identification, and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profiles of Gram-Negative Bacteria Isolated from Hemodialysis Units in Khartoum State, Sudan

Abstract Background Because of the numerous microorganisms found in the hospital's hemodialysis unit, hemodialysis patients face increased infection risks. This study aims to isolate and identify Gram-negative bacteria harboring the hemodialysis room environment and determine their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Methods From June 2022 to October 2022, a descriptive cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted to isolate and identify Gram-negative bacteria using standard microbiological techniques. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method in accordance with CLSI guidelines. Data were analyzed using SPSS and Microsoft Excel packages. Results Out of 60 samples collected, only 19 showed bacterial growth with 157 total isolate occurrences. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most frequently isolated organism (42.67%), followed by Acinetobacter baumannii (19.10%), Serratia marcescens (16.56%), Enterobacter spp. (10.19%), Citrobacter freundii (7.64%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (2.55%), and both Escherichia coli and Proteus vulgaris (0.63% each). All isolates showed overall high sensitivity, with low resistance observed against Gentamicin (7.6%), Meropenem (7.0%), and Amikacin (3.1%). Zero multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains were detected (0/157, 0.00%). Conclusion Hemodialysis ward environments harbor bacterial contamination with opportunistic pathogens capable of causing nosocomial infections. Fortunately, the isolates maintained high susceptibility to most evaluated antimicrobials.