Exploring Antimicrobial Resistance in Patients With Acute Cholangitis Undergoing ERCP: A Prospective Multicentre Study

Given the extensive utilization of antibiotics and the worldwide rise of multidrug-resistant organisms, there are ongoing initiatives to ascertain microbiological traits and discern patterns of drug resistance associated with intra-abdominal infections.

Microbial cultures from bile and blood samples will be established and characterized using appropriate methodologies. For patients with moderate and severe acute cholangitis (AC), blood cultures will be initiated upon admission, adhering to the Tokyo Guidelines for AC 2018 recommendations. Bile specimens will be obtained after cannulation through the sphincterotome before the therapeutic intervention. Initially, a minimum of 5 mL of the procured bile will be discarded, followed by the collection of an additional 5 mL in a sterile vessel containing a medium conducive to both anaerobic and aerobic bacterial cultures. The samples will undergo a minimum incubation period of seven days at 37 °C until microbial proliferation becomes evident. Antibiotic susceptibility assessments, specifically minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), will be performed and interpreted according to established guidelines.The analysis of samples will occur within the laboratory of each respective center, with antibiograms conducted in accordance with established protocols.