Bacterial Profile and Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns of Uropathogens Among Patients with Urinary Tract Infection at a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Original Article

Abstract

Objective: To determine the bacterial profile of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility and resistance patterns of uropathogens isolated from patients presenting to a tertiary care hospital.

Methodology: This hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Pathology, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, after obtaining ethical approval (IRB No. 1665), from December 5, 2023, to January 5, 2024. Patients with clinically diagnosed UTIs undergoing urine culture and sensitivity testing were included. A sample size of 150 patients was calculated using OpenEpi, assuming an 11% prevalence, 95% confidence level, and 5% margin of error. Consecutive sampling was employed, and demographic and clinical data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.

Results: A total of 150 patients were enrolled, including 80 (53.3%) males and 70 (46.7%) females. Escherichia coli was the most frequently isolated uropathogen, accounting for 69 (46.0%) isolates, followed by Enterobacter 30 (20.0%), Providencia 19 (12.7%), Candida 17 (11.3%), Klebsiella 11 (7.3%), and Serratia 4 (2.7%). No significant gender-based difference in the distribution of uropathogens was observed (p = 0.339). E. coli demonstrated the highest sensitivity to clindamycin (82.6%), while nitrofurantoin showed the greatest activity against Candida (94.1%). Tigecycline exhibited high sensitivity against Enterobacter (83.3%) and Providencia (94.7%), whereas colistin showed 100% sensitivity against Klebsiella. The highest resistance among E. coli isolates was observed against imipenem (34.8%), while Candida demonstrated substantial resistance to colistin (64.7%).

Conclusion: Escherichia coli was the predominant uropathogen isolated from patients with UTIs. Several bacterial isolates demonstrated multidrug resistance to commonly prescribed antibiotics, highlighting the importance of regular surveillance of local antimicrobial susceptibility patterns to guide empirical therapy and optimize patient outcomes