Distribution of bacteria isolated from urine cultures and resistance pattern of Escherichia coli strains in community-acquired urinary tract infections

Abstract

Aims: Urinary tract infections are one of the most common among community-acquired infections. Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the most common cause of community-acquired urinary tract infections. In our study, we aimed to determine the correct empirical treatment by determining the resistance profile of E. coli strains isolated from urine cultures in our hospital, thus both establishing an effective treatment and preventing the development of resistance. Methods: Urine cultures of 3145 patients with urinary tract infection symptoms who applied to the infection and clinical microbiology outpatient clinic of our hospital between January 2019 and December 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. Patients with a history of catheter, a history of urinary operations, a history of hospitalization in the last 15 days, contamination in their cultures, and patients under the age of 18 were excluded from the study, and 422 urine cultures with growth were included in the study. Results: The mean age of the patients included in the study was 49.8±14.7 years, and the gender distribution consisted of 301 females (71.3%) and 121 males (28.7%). E. coli was isolated in 313 (77.6%) of these cultures. The antibiotic with the highest resistance rate was trimethoprim-sulfametoxazole (34.8%), while the antibiotics with the lowest resistance rates were fosfomycin and imipenem (0.6%). Conclusions: Considering that the resistance profiles of microorganisms are different from each other on the basis of country, region, and city, revealing regional resistance patterns can make an important contribution to both establishing effective treatment and preventing the development of antibiotic resistance.