Background: Infections in Intensive care unit (ICU) patients remain as a great challenge to the treating health care providers due to their high incidence and mortality rates. Aim: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the prevalence and the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of bacterial infections from patients admitted in ICU. Materials and methods: The study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital, Chennai. Clinical samples were collected from 100 patients admitted in the ICU with clinical symptoms of infection and processed in microbiology laboratory for bacterial culture and sensitivity. The organisms were identified using standard microbiological methods. Results: Out of the 100 samples processed, 61 samples showed bacterial growth. The common infections in ICU were found to be urinary tract infections, septicaemia, respiratory infections followed by soft tissue infections. Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Staphylococcus aureus, Coagulase negative Staphylococcus (CONS) and Pseudomonas were the commonly isolated organisms. Conclusion: Patients in ICU are reported to be highly susceptible to infections. Drug resistance is found to be higher among the isolates. Strict adherence to Hospital infection control protocol, proper monitoring of the patients and rational use of antibiotics help in prevention of infections to a greater extent

The present study aimed at isolation and identification of lactic acid bacterial isolates from horse gram. A total of 13 isolates were considered as presumptive lactic acid bacteria after screening for Gram positive, catalase negative, nonmotile and asporogenous. They were further screened for physiological and biochemical characteristics. Results revealed that, majority of the isolates (76.92 %) were cocci shaped, with varied arrangements like independent, pairs / short chains, while only 23.07% of isolates were rod shaped. Based on their physiology, all isolates were confirmed as mesophilic in nature with optimum growth at 4.0 -6.5 pH and 2- 4% NaCl concentration. Biochemical characterization disclosed that three of isolates showed dextran producers, 84.6 % of them performed mixed acid fermentation and three isolates showed acetoin production, 23.07 % hydrolyzed starch, 30.76 % hydrolyzed gelatin and none of them could hydrolyze lipid. Finally, isolates were studied for sugar fermentation profiles and results confirmed that majority of them could metabolize diversified sugars such as galactose, rhamnose, glucose, lactose, sucrose, mannose and trehalose. Only 46.15 % isolates fermented sorbitol and none of them utilized xylose

The aim of this research was production of biosurfactant from the normal flora of Dates (Phoenix dactylifera) to check its activity against biofilm produced by Candida and E.coli. The organisms were isolated LBD (Lactic acid bacteria differential agar) and the plates were incubated at room temperature for 48 hours. Several biochemical test were performed with this strains. Drop collapse test was performed and was found to be +ve. The organism was inoculated in MSM broth (mineral salt medium) with petrol as a source of carbon for biosurfactant production and organism was found to be degraded in MSM broth. Biosurfactant was extracted and purified in ethyl acetate and methanol (4:1). The biosurfactant extracted was checked against biofilm formed by Candida in catheter and E.coli in IV set and was incubated overnight. After incubation catheter and IV set was washed 3 times with saline. For checking the biosurfactant activity Catheter and IV set was dipped in saline with biosurfactant by cutting them into small pieces. They were incubated overnight and Spread plate was performed for each wash and variation in growth was observed in gradient form. The organism was characterised at NFB by 16s RNA sequencing method and was found to be Acinetobacter pittii