Catheter-associated urinary tract infections in adult intensive care units at a selected tertiary hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Catheter-associated urinary tract infection is the leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. They remain the second most common healthcare-associated infection in critically sick patients. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of catheter-associated urinary tract infection, the spectrum of etiological agents, antibiotic sensitivity profile of bacterial pathogens among adult patients admitted to intensive care units. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients admitted to the intensive care unit of hospitals in Addis Ababa who were on urethral indwelling catheters for >48 hours from October 2020 to September 2021 were included in the study. Urine specimens were aseptically collected and processed as per standard protocols. Microorganisms were isolated, identified, and subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing. RESULTS: In all 220 pateints included in the study development of significant bacteriuria/candiduria was not affected by sex, age, and prior antibiotic therapy. However, the length of stay in the intensive care unit was significantly associated with bacteriuria /candiduria (P-value < 0.001). The overall prevalence of bacteriuria/candiduria was 51.4% among which 21.0%, 19.1%, and 11.4% were bacteriuria, candiduria, and polymicrobial infections, respectively. About 138 organisms were recovered of which 79 (57.25%) were bacteria and 59 (42.75%) were yeast isolates. Acinetobacter species, Pseudomonas species, Klebsiella species E. coli, and Enterococcus species were the dominant bacterial isolates. Candida. albicans, Candida. krusei and Candida. tropicalis were the commonest yeasts. Many gram-negative bacterial isolates were resistant to ceftriaxone 36(94.7%), ampicillin 21(91.3%) followed by cefotaxime34(89.5%), amikacin (16.0%), nitrofurantoin (17.4%), meropenem (20.0%) and imipenem (20.0%). Out of 79 bacterial pathogens, 52(65.8%) were multiple antibiotic resistant of which 37(71.0%) were Gram-negative bacteria and 15(29%%) were Gram-positive bacteria. About 13(86.7%) isolates of Acinetobacter, all isolates of Klebsiella species (100%) and E. coli (100%) were multiple antibiotic-resistant. Out Of 18,10(55.56%), isolates of Enterococcus were multiple antibiotic-resistant. CONCLUSIONS: A very high prevalence of bacteriuria/ candiduria was demonstrated in this study. This warrants the establishment of multidimensional infection control approach on catheter associated urinary tract infection in ICU. In addition to high prevalence of candiduria, recovery of non-albicans candida species almost in equal proportion with candida albicans in the present study was an important finding as non-albicans candida species distinct to C. albicans are intrinsically resistant to the commonly used azole antifungal drugs in Ethiopia. The prevalence of rate MDR bacteria in our ICU particularly of E. coli, Klebsiella spp, Pseudomonas and Acetobacter spp was very high. In order to combat this problem, proper antibiotic policies should be formulated.