Community-acquired Lower Urinary Tract Infections: Etiology, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Treatment Results in Female Patients

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Most community-acquired urinary tract infections (UTIs) are usually treated empirically. The knowledge of antibiotic resistance patterns of the microorganisms causing UTI is essential for defining the empirical treatment. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study is to determine the distribution of bacterial strains isolated from lower UTIs and their resistance patterns against commonly used antimicrobial agents and treatment results in female patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of medical case records of 90 female patients with lower UTI for a period of 4 years from January 2013 to December 2016 in a tertiary care hospital in the Trakya region of Turkey. RESULTS: The most common causative agent was Escherichia coli (66.6% of cases) followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (16.6%). Fosfomycin was the most active agent against E. coli (resistant isolates: 5.5%), followed by nitrofurantoin (resistant isolates: 7.4%). Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) production was observed in 29 (32.2%) isolates (22 in E. coli, 6 in K. pneumoniae, and 1 in Enterobacter spp.). The antimicrobial resistance rates among ESBL-producing E. coli isolates for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin, fosfomycin, and nitrofurantoin were 77.7%, 72.7%, 13.6%, and 18.2%, respectively (P < 0.05). The estimated microbiological eradication rates for nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin were 89.7% and 83.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study indicate that nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin may be considered for empirical therapy of lower UTIs in Trakya region of Turkey.