Long-term epidemiology of bacterial pathogens and antimicrobial resistance in a secondary hospital in China: a 12-year retrospective study
Abstract
Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global health threat. However, long-term epidemiological data from secondary hospitals-a critical component of the healthcare system-remain limited, particularly in China, where national surveillance is largely based on data from tertiary hospitals. Understanding the local epidemiology in these settings is vital for developing effective regional control strategies and guiding empirical antibiotic therapy.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 2,661 clinical bacterial isolates collected from a secondary hospital in Shandong Province, China, between 2014 and 2025. Pathogen distribution was analyzed across patient sex, age groups, specimen types, and temporal trends. Antimicrobial susceptibility data from 2017 to 2025 were used to assess resistance profiles of major pathogens. Key resistant organisms, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA), were further evaluated.
Results: Gram-negative bacteria predominated (83.1%), with E. coli (30.9%) and K. pneumoniae (25.6%) as the most common pathogens. Distinct ecological niche patterns were observed: E. coli was overrepresented in urinary and wound samples and in female patients, whereas K. pneumoniae, P.…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Association of lower urinary tract symptoms and OAB severity with quality of life and mental health in China, Taiwan and South Korea: results from a cross-sectional, population-based study
- Ten-Day Quadruple Therapy Comprising Low-Dose Rabeprazole, Bismuth, Amoxicillin, and Tetracycline Is an Effective and Safe First-Line Treatment for Helicobacter pylori Infection in a Population with High Antibiotic Resistance: a Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized, Parallel-Controlled Clinical Trial in China
- The Role of the NLR and PLR in Urinary Tract Infection
- Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance among Pilgrims with Infectious Diseases during Hajj: Lessons Learnt from COVID-19 Pandemic
- Leclercia adecarboxylata urinary tract infection in a patient with bladder cancer and recurrent hematuria
- A Case Series of Staphylococcus lugdunensis Infection in Cancer Patients at an Academic Cancer Institute in the United States
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.