Vol. 6, Issue 1, Part A (2024)

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs), arising from the genitourinary tract, are among the most frequent bacterial infections worldwide, with Escherichia coli and Klebsiella species the most common causative organisms. An additional issue that hinders the treatment of infections is the emergence of antibiotic strains that are resistant to the known treatments, thus requiring constant monitoring of the emerging resistance profiles. 
Objective: In this work the objectives were to evaluate the overall occurrences of E. coli and Klebsiella species in the urine samples of a tertiary level hospital in Bangladesh and to determine the antibiotic sensitivities and resistance of the identified pathogens. 
Methods: A retrospective study was done at the Community Based Medical College, Bangladesh, from February 1, 2023, to February 10, 2024. In this study, the urine samples of one hundred patients with suspected cases of UTIs were cultured and scrutinized. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done with the help of the CLSI disk diffusion method. 
Results: Of 100 samples, 97 yielded E. coli and 3 yielded Klebsiella species. E. coli showed 100% sensitivity to imipenem, meropenem, and vancomycin, with high sensitivity to amikacin (97%) and gentamycin (92.8%). Highest resistance was observed for nalidixic acid (43.3%), nitrofurantoin (33%), and cefuroxime (29.9%). Klebsiella isolates demonstrated 100% sensitivity to several antibiotics but higher resistance to cefixime, nitrofurantoin, nalidixic acid, and cephradine (66.7% each) compared to E. coli. 
Conclusion: The research finds that resistance to antibiotics among uropathogens is on the rise. Results highlight the importance of prudent use of antibiotics, monitoring for resistance trends, and timely introduction of the principles of antibiotic stewardship to inform empirical prescription and to appropriately conserve essential classes of antimicrobials.