Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns of Uropathogens Isolated from Patients with Urinary Tract Infections in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections worldwide and represent a major cause of morbidity and antimicrobial use. The increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among uropathogens has become a significant challenge in the effective management of UTIs, necessitating continuous surveillance of local resistance patterns.

Objective: To determine the spectrum of uropathogens and evaluate their antimicrobial resistance patterns among patients with urinary tract infections attending a tertiary care hospital.

Materials and Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 110 culture-positive urine samples obtained from patients clinically suspected of having UTIs. Urine specimens were processed using standard microbiological techniques for isolation and identification of bacterial pathogens. Demographic characteristics, bacterial isolates, antimicrobial resistance profiles, and multidrug resistance patterns were analyzed.

Results: Of the 110 patients included in the study, females constituted 65.5% of cases, while males accounted for 34.5%. The highest proportion of infections was observed in the 21–40 years age group (36.4%). Escherichia coliwas the predominant uropathogen, accounting for 52.7% of isolates, followed by Klebsiellapneumoniae (19.1%) and Enterococcus faecalis (10.0%).

Conclusion:Escherichia coliremains the predominant causative agent of urinary tract infections. High resistance rates to commonly prescribed antibiotics such as ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, and ceftriaxone highlight the growing burden of antimicrobial resistance.