DISTRIBUTION OF BACTERIAL ISOLATES AND ESBL PRODUCTION AMONG SELECTED ENTEROBACTERALES FROM LOWER RESPIRATORY TRACT SPECIMENS AT A TERTIARY HOSPITAL IN VIETNAM

Lower respiratory tract infections(LRTIs) are commonly associated with bacterial pathogens, and local microbiological data may support antimicrobial management. This descriptive cross-sectional study aimed to describe bacterial isolates from lower respiratory tract specimens and determine extendedspectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production among selected Enterobacterales at Can Tho General Hospital, Vietnam, from June 2025 to June 2026. Bacterial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were performed using the VITEK 2 Compact system. Among 635 isolates representing 26 species, Gramnegative bacteria accounted for 97.3%. Patients aged ≥61 years accounted for 78.4% of isolates and 72.6% were from the Intensive Care Unit. The predominant species were Klebsiella pneumoniae (35.9%), Acinetobacter baumannii (22.4%), Klebsiella aerogenes (12.3%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (10.6%), and Escherichia coli (9.4%), together accounting for 90.6% of isolates. Among 295 K. pneumoniae, E. coli, and Proteus mirabilis isolates evaluated, 59.7% exhibited an ESBL phenotype. ESBL positivity was 60.5%, 56.7%, and 57.1%, respectively. These findings provide local data on bacterial distribution and ESBL production that may support microbiological surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship.