Serotyping and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern ofEscherichia coliIsolates from Urinary Tract Infections in Pediatric Population in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in pediatric population are associated with high morbidity and long term complications. In recent years, there is increased prevalence ofEscherichia coli(E. coli) strains producing extended spectrumβ-lactamase, Amp C, and Metalloβ-lactamase, making the clinical management even more difficult. This study was aimed to detect the serotypes and to determine antimicrobial susceptibility profile ofE. coliisolates from urine samples of children <10 yrs old. A total of 75 pureE. colistrains isolated from patients with symptoms of UTI and colony count ≥105organisms/mL were included in the study. Antibiotic sensitivity pattern showed maximum resistance to nalidixic acid (98.7%), followed by ampicillin (97.3%), amoxi-clavulanate (96%), and fluoroquinolones (92%) while most of the isolates were found sensitive to piperacillin-tazobactam (13.3%), nitrofurantoin (5.3%), and meropenem (1.3%). 48% of the strains were ESBL producer (extended spectrum beta lactamase). 44% strains were typable withantisera used in our study and the most common serogroup was O6 (33.3%) followed by O1 (15.1%) and O15 (15.1%). To conclude, judicious use of antibiotics according to hospital antibiotic policy and infection control measures should be implemented to prevent spread of multidrug resistant organisms.