Microbial prevalence and understanding of their antimicrobial susceptibility in urinary tract of patients attending at shar teaching hospital (2018-2022).

Abstract

Objective: Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) are among the most common microbial infections in humans globally, a leading cause for medical consultation, and the main contributor to antibiotic consumption. This study aimed to determine the microbial prevalence of UTIs and assess the antibacterial susceptibility patterns of uropathogenic microbial pathogens over a five-year period.

Method: This retrospective research was done from June 2018 to 2022. The following E. coli, Klebsiella spp., fungi, Pseudomonas spp., Staphylococcus spp., Acinetobacter spp., and Enterococcus spp. microbes were identified from 3,330 midstream urine samples. The microbes were identified following standard microbiological techniques. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique and the VITEK^® 2 Compact system. Chi-square and other statistical tests were used to evaluate gender-based differences in antibiotic susceptibility.

Findings: The prevalence of UTI among patients attending Shar Hospital was 927 (27.9%). The most prevalent bacteria were E. coli (56.7%), followed by Klebsiella spp. (10.7%), Pseudomonas spp. (8.2%), Staphylococcus spp. (6.3%), Acinetobacter spp. (3.9%), Enterococcus spp. (3.3%), and fungi (10.7%). Some of the microbes exhibited high resistance to commonly used antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, whereas they showed high efficacy against meropenem, nitrofurantoin, and amikacin. Furthermore, certain antibiotics including amoxiclav and ceftazidime showed gender-specific differences, presenting statistically significant differences in susceptibility between genders.

Conclusion: The current data highlights the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in UTIs. Routine antimicrobial responsible management programs need to be performed to optimize antibiotic use, standardized surveillance protocols, and evidence-based recommendations for suitable antibiotic selection. These measures can assist enhancing efficacy and decreasing the development of resistance.