Microbial Resistance in Urinary Tract Infections

Objective To determine the pattern of microbes responsible for urinary tract infections and their susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. Methods This was a prospective, observational study conducted at Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The urine samples of 440 patients were collected and sent for culture and sensitivity analysis. The results were recorded on a proforma. The data were analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Descriptive statistics were used to describe the data. Chi-square test was applied to determine the significance of the difference between gender and microorganisms as well as microorganism and antimicrobial sensitivity. P-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results Out of 440 urine samples, 144 culture-positive samples had been obtained from male participants and 296 culture-positive samples had been obtained from female participants. The most common organism on analysis was Escherichia coli. There were more rates of resistance in males. The organisms were most susceptible to fosfomycin and imipenem (p = 0.01). The organisms were resistant to ceftazidime (p = 0.01). Conclusion In Pakistan, most patients with resistance present with mild symptoms instead of severe clinical manifestations. Therefore, there is a need to reduce the over-prescription of antibiotics for urinary tract infections, especially in cases when other non-antimicrobial agents can be used.