Antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial uropathogens in a South African regional hospital.

BACKGROUND

Urinary tract infections are common bacterial infections affecting millions worldwide. Although treatment options for urinary tract infections are well established, with ciprofloxacin long considered one of the antibiotics of choice, increasing antibiotic resistance may delay the initiation of appropriate therapy. While this increase in antimicrobial resistance has been demonstrated in multiple studies around the world, there is a dearth of information from developing countries.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to describe the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of commonly isolated bacterial uropathogens in a South African hospital.

METHODS

Antimicrobial susceptibility data of isolates obtained from urine specimens at the RK Khan Hospital, a regional hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, between January 2018 and December 2020 were retrieved from the hospital's laboratory information system and analysed to determine the differences in resistance rates between the most frequently isolated bacterial uropathogens.

RESULTS

Of the 3048 bacterial urinary pathogens isolated between 2018 and 2020, (1603; 53%) was the most common, followed by spp. (437; 14%). Both and spp. showed high rates of resistance to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (29.8% and 42.3%) and ciprofloxacin (37.7% and 30.4%). Nitrofurantoin resistance was low among (6.2%) but high among spp. (61.3%).

CONCLUSION

and spp. in this study were highly resistant to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and ciprofloxacin, two of the frequently prescribed oral treatment options.

WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS

This study highlights the importance of regular local antimicrobial resistance surveillance to inform appropriate empiric therapy.