Bacterial bloodstream infections are a major public health problem, which leads to high morbidity and mortality of patients. On time diagnosis and appropriate medication will be the best way to save the lives of affected ones. The aim of the present study was to determine the bacterial profile of bloodstream infections and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern in Mekelle Hospital. Cross sectional study method was carried out in 514 (269 females and 245 males) febrile patients in Mekelle hospital from March to October 2014. Standard bacteriological methods were used for blood collection, bacterial isolation and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern. Out of the total 514 febrile patients, 144 (28%) culture positive were isolated. Staphylococcus aureus 54 (37.5%), Coagulase-negative staphylococci 44 (30.6%), Escherichia coli 16 (3.1%), Citrobacter spp. 9 (1.7%) and Salmonella typhi 8 (1.6%) were the most dominant isolates, collectively accounting for >90% of the isolates. Antimicrobial resistance pattern for gram positive and gram negative bacteria was 0–83.3% and 0–100%, respectively. High resistance was seen to Trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole 101 (70.1%), Oxacillin 65 (62.5%), Ceftriaxone 79 (58.9%) and Doxycycline 71 (49.3%). Fifty-nine percent of the isolated bacteria in this study were multi drug resistant. Most bacterial isolates were sensitive to Gentamicin, Ciprofloxacin and Amoxicillin clavulanic acid. All gram positive isolates in this current study were sensitive to vancomycin. Prevalence of bacterial isolates in blood was high. It also reveals isolated bacteria species developed multi drug resistance to most of the antibiotics tested, which highlights for periodic surveillance of etiologic agent, antibiotic susceptibility to prevent further emergence and spread of resistant bacterial pathogens.

Patients were wrongly diagnosed and treated for typhoid fever by Widal test. The tube titration method was relatively good but still had poor sensitivity. Blood isolates showed multi drug resistance, which may be due to the indiscriminate prescription as seen in this study. Based on our results, the slide Widal test is not helpful in the diagnosis of typhoid, hence other tests with rapid, feasible, better sensitivity and specificity are urgently needed in Ethiopia.