Evaluation of uropathogens isolated in the outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in south India

Abstract

: Urinary tract infections constitute a large percentage of cases encountered in outpatient departments at tertiary care hospitals. These infections have been associated with a rise in antimicrobial resistance, leading to high morbidity and mortality. This rise in drug resistance has been linked to an increase in unauthorized, unregularized use of higher generations of antibiotics, leading to the prevalence of multi drug resistant organisms in the community.: The aim of this study is to analyze the prevalence of various uropathogens in the general population, along with their antibiotic susceptibility patterns. : The study has been carried out for a period of six months, during which a total of 872 urine samples were collected from the outpatient department at Kamineni Academy of Medical Sciences and Research Center, Hyderabad. Urine samples were subjected to bacterial culture and significant bacterial growth was identified using the colony count method. Identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done using an automated VITEK 2 compact system. A total of 236 cases (27.1%) showed significant growth of uropathogens. The common organisms isolated were These organisms were seen more commonly in females. Multidrug resistance has been noted in multiple uropathogens, especially to fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins. This study documented an increase in antimicrobial resistance of the uropathogens isolated at the outpatient department. Judicious use of antibiotics may aid in prevention of spread of antimicrobial drug resistance in the general population.