Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Bacterial Isolates from Purulent Specimens in Women and Children: A Six-Year Retrospective Study in Central China.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze pathogenic distribution, temporal trends, age-specific differences, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles of purulent specimens from a Central China women-and-children hospital, to guide empirical antimicrobial therapy and stewardship. METHODS: This single-center, retrospective study included 6767 purulent specimens (including wound exudates, abscess pus and surgical site secretions, among others) collected between 2019 and 2024 at a tertiary hospital in Central China. Bacterial identification and AMR testing followed CLSI standards; data were analyzed via WHONET 5.6 and GraphPad Prism. RESULTS: 4,676 (69.1%, N=6,767) strains were isolated. Escherichia coli (33.2%) and Staphylococcus aureus (19.7%) were predominant. Distinct age-specific spectra were observed, along with an apparent increase in the isolation rate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa over the study period. Escherichia coli exhibited the highest resistance rates, particularly to ampicillin (79.9%), and Staphylococcus aureus to penicillin G (95.4%), while carbapenems and amikacin retained high in vitro activity against the major Gram-negative isolates. CONCLUSION: Purulent infections present age-specific pathogenic spectra. E. coli and S. aureus are core pathogens; the observed increase in P. aeruginosa isolation over the study period warrants continued surveillance. Individualized therapy should be based on age and AMR data.