Archives

Background: The Geriatric population refers to persons who are 65 years of age and above. Lower
Respiratory Tract Infections are among the most common diseases encountered in elderly people. This
study was conducted to determine the bacterial pathogens causing lower respiratory tract infections in
geriatric population, and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern. Materials & Methods: The present study
for a period of one year included 110 patients with lower respiratory tract infections, 65 years of age and
above, admitted in Geriatric Medical ward, Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Chennai. The
study population included 110 geriatric patients admitted in Geriatric Medical ward for lower
respiratory tract infections. The respiratory samples and blood were collected and processed according
to standard methods. Results: In this study, data showed that majority of patients with lower respiratory
tract infections were in the age group of 65-74 years (82.0%) and predominantly males (62.7%) Among
the 110 patients, significant bacterial growth was exhibited by 68 (61.8%) cases. Out of the 76 isolates,
Klebsiella pneumoniae (36.8%) was the commonest pathogen. A total of 26 (34.2%) and 5 (6.6%) isolates
were Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase and AmpC Beta-Lactamase producing organisms, respectively.
About 7.9% of the total isolates were Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus . Blood samples
yielded growth in 2.7% cases. Conclusion: Due to the evolving nature of the epidemiology of lower
respiratory tract infections in older persons, continued research and surveillance are essential to
optimize the prevention and therapy of lower respiratory tract infections in the Geriatric population.
Key words: Lower Respiratory Tract Infections, Geriatrics, Klebsiella pneumoniae.