Clinical Profile, Risk Factors, and Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia Due to Acinetobacter baumannii in the ICUs of a Tertiary Care Centre in South India

Introduction Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in ICU settings, with a greater impact when caused by multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. This study examines the clinical profile, risk factors, antimicrobial resistance patterns, and prognostic indicators associated with VAP due to this organism in a tertiary care centre in South India. Methods This one-year cross-sectional study was conducted from January to December 2023 at KLE’s Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital, Belagavi. A total of 68 patients with culture-confirmed VAP due to Acinetobacter baumannii were included. Clinical characteristics, comorbidities, risk factors, microbiological susceptibility, and prognostic scores, including the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II), quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA), and Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II), were analysed. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using institutional protocols, and resistance patterns were defined based on susceptibility across antimicrobial classes. Ethical approval was obtained from the institutional ethics committee. Results The mean age was 48 years, with 54 males (79.4%). Cerebrovascular accident and sepsis were the most common underlying diagnoses, observed in 22 (32.4%) and 13 (19.1%) patients, respectively. Mechanical ventilation was present in all patients. Central venous catheter use and glucocorticoid therapy were noted in 47 (69.1%) and 37 (54.4%) patients, respectively. Mortality was observed in 44 patients (64.7%). Non-survivors had higher prognostic scores. GCS ≤8, APACHE II >20, qSOFA >1, and SAPS II >43 were associated with higher mortality, with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.928, 0.954, 0.937, and 0.971, respectively. Pan-drug resistance was observed in 49 (72.1%) isolates, while colistin sensitivity was seen in 11 (16.2%). Conclusion VAP due to Acinetobacter baumannii in this setting was associated with high mortality and a substantial burden of antimicrobial resistance. Prognostic scores, particularly SAPS II, showed strong associations with mortality; however, these findings should be interpreted in the context of the observational design. The results are hypothesis-generating and require validation in larger multicentre studies.