Local Surveillance Identifies High-Priority Gram-Negative Pathogens to Guide Antibiotic Stewardship in Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study

Gram-negative pathogens are notable causes of diverse human infections. This study determined the antibiotic sensitivity profile of clinical isolates of gram-negative bacteria to provide insights into high-priority pathogens that are potential threats to public health in Ghana. Gram-negative isolates from urine, stool, wound, and blood samples of consenting participants were tested against 10 antibiotics using the Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the predominant bacteria isolated from the study participants. Resistance to colistin (4%) and meropenem (20%) was less prevalent, whereas isolates resistant to ampicillin (94%), tigecycline (85.5%), and chloramphenicol (76%) were widespread in the study participants. Acinetobacter baumannii exhibited the highest resistance phenotype among the clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria. Our data highlight the ineffectiveness of tigecycline, ampicillin, and chloramphenicol against several gram-negative pathogens isolated from the study participants. The utilization of meropenem and colistin should be strongly monitored to avoid misuse because they represent effective antibiotics for treatment of gram-negative infections.