Isolation and Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Escherichia coli from Urinary Tract Infections in a Tertiary Care Hospital of North Eastern Karnataka

INTRODUCTION: Clinical management of the urinary tract infections (UTI) is influenced by the antimicrobial vulnerability patterns. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to analyse the resistance pattern of the Escherichia coli (E. coli) causing UTI in patients over a period of 4 years from 2012 to 2015. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 1000 samples from patients suspected of having urinary tract infections were collected and processed for culture and antimicrobial drug susceptibility as per the routine microbiological techniques. RESULTS: Of the total 1000 samples, 395 cases were culture-positive for E. coli. These isolates were tested for antibiotic susceptibility by disk diffusion method. Of the total 395 E. coli isolates, 170 (43%) were multi drug resistant (MDR). The isolates showed high level of resistance to Ampicillin (82.53%), Cefuroxime (72.41%), Amoxycillin-clavulinic acid (71.90%), Ceftriaxone (66.58%), Ciprofloxacin (65.82%) and Cefepime (57.47%). The isolates were sensitive to Imipenem (96.71%), Nitrfurantion (92.41%), Amikacin (90.89%), Chloramphenicol (85.82%), Piperacillin-tazobactum (80.76%), Gentamicin (59.24%), Azetreonam (54.43%) and Norfloxacin (53.67%). CONCLUSION: We conclude that a significant number of the urinary tract infections in our study subjects were caused by multiple drug resistant E. coli. The sensitivity pattern showed a continued decline from 2012 to 2015, with Imipenem being currently the most effective antibiotic.