The Most Common Bacterial Infection among Iraqi Patients Suffering from Cholecystitis in AL-Anbar province: A Cross-sectional Observational Study

Biliary tree infections arise mainly from stasis associated with acute cholecystitis, choledocholithiasis and acalculous cholecystitis, with appropriate drainage and an effective antibiotic regimen being the mainstay of treatment. The aim of this study was to characterize the bacterial infection of bile cultures in Iraqi patient who admitted to hospital.

Methods. An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional and retrospective study was conducted on 78 patients undergoing cholecystectomy, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and cholecystostomy at AL-Anbar Teaching Hospital, Anbar health directorate and Arrazzi Hospital, who underwent bile culture the study beginning from March 2022 to May 2023. Participants ranged in age from 10 to 85 years and included both males and females.

Results. 78 patients were included, of whom 70.51 % were women and the average age was (63.1 ± 1.6) while men recorded as 29.49% and the average age was (60.46± 2.3). The most frequently isolated germ was E. coli (51.2%). The most commonly used antibiotic was ampicillin plus sulbactam (44.6%) followed by piperacillin tazobactam (40.3%).

Conclusion. Escherichia coli is the germ most frequently isolated in biliary tract infections. There is no clarity regarding the use of antimicrobials prophylactically in this pathology, so it is convenient to generate protocols for taking samples and bile cultures in this population, in order to establish the need for the use of antibiotics and to know the bacterial resistance profiles.