Mumbai: Drug-resistant bacterial infections are associated with significantly higher mortality and treatment costs than infections caused by drug-sensitive strains, a new Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) study involving 20 tertiary-care hospitals has found.
Published in The Lancet Regional Health–Southeast Asia, the study analysed 1.6 lakh hospitalised patients between April 2022 and April 2025, including patients at Hinduja Hospital in Mahim. Of these, 26,213 had infections caused by four major Gram-negative bacteria—E coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Mortality was 31.2% among those with resistant K pneumoniae, compared with 23.5% among those with susceptible infections. The corresponding figures were 24.4% versus 17.3% for E coli; 37.9% versus 32.8% for A baumannii; and 28.9% versus 20.2% for P aeruginosa. The average cost for resistant E coli was $420 per patient, compared with $211 for susceptible infections. For K pneumoniae, the costs were $587 and $505; for A baumannii, $655 and $436; and for P aeruginosa, $702 and $510.
The researchers, however, cautioned that the study was conducted in tertiary hospitals, where critically ill and referred patients are more likely to be treated, and therefore the findings should not be interpreted as indicators of individual hospital performance.
“Antimicrobial resistance is no longer a distant threat—it is already costing Indian lives,” said senior scientist from ICMR, Dr Kamini Walia, an author of the study. “Our study shows that carbapenem-resistant infections carry substantially higher mortality and treatment costs,” she said, adding that the answer is not simply more powerful antibiotics, but “better infection prevention, timely diagnostics and responsible antibiotic use”. “Antibiotic treatment costs were 1.1–2 folds higher for resistant infections,” said the study. Developing a culture, identifying the organism and determining its resistance pattern can take a few days, although molecular diagnostics can help us do this faster,” said Pandit, who was not associated with the study.
The study compared mortality among patients with resistant and susceptible forms of the same bacteria. Treatment was also more expensive for resistant infections. “It takes longer to treat a patient with a drug-resistant infection. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Mumbai | Silver Rate in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai | Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Petrol Price in Mumbai | Diesel Price in Mumbai | CNG Price in Mumbai | LPG Price in Mumbai