Abstract:
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.
