The Sensitivity Pattern of Uropathogens towards Oral Antibiotics among Children with Urinary Tract Infection

Abstract

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is common in paediatric age group. Because of extensive and injudicious use of oral antibiotics, uropathogens show increasing resistance to these drugs. The objective of the study was to identify the susceptibility pattern of uropathogens towards oral antibiotics among children suffering from UTI who were admitted to the paediatric ward at Jalalabad Ragib-Rabeya Medical College Hospital, Sylhet. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out among 100 children aged 2 months to 12 years, who had a confirmed diagnosis of UTI based on urine culture reports and was admitted to the paediatric department of Jalalabad Ragib-Rabeya Medical College Hospital, Sylhet. The study period was 1st January 2018 to 31st December 2019. Results: The mean age of the patients was 46.48±38.58 months. Males were 34% and females were 66% and the male-female ratio was 1:1.9. The common presenting complaints of UTI cases were fever (67%), dysuria or crying during micturition (53%), abdominal pain (42%), an increased frequency of micturition (30%), and nausea and vomiting (26%). The most common isolated organism was E. coli (61%), followed by Klebsiella species (31%). Nitrofurantoin was the drug that the isolated organisms were most sensitive to, followed by levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin. The isolated organisms were highly resistant to cephalexin, amoxicillin, cephradine, cefaclor, cefixime, azithromycin, and co-trimoxazole. Conclusion: Uropathogens are mostly sensitive to nitrofurantoin, levofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin. These drugs may be used to empirically treat UTI in children, if necessary. Judicial antibiotic use should be practised to prevent the development of antibiotic resistance.