Antibacterial Resistance and Trend of Urinary Tract Pathogens to Commonly Used Antibiotics in Kashmir Valley

Objective: Increase in resistance pattern of urinary tract pathogens to conventional antimicrobial agents used for urinary tract infections (UTIs) are gaining the attention of many microbiologists worldwide in respect to treatment of UTIs. The aim of the present study was to obtain data on resistance patterns of pathogens responsible for UTIs in Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (tertiary healthcare hospital) to currently used antimicrobial agents. Method: A total of 2842 samples were collected from both outpatient and inpatient departments. The majority of samples in this study were midstream urine specimens, others included catheterized urine samples. Standard parameters were followed for isolation and identification of clinical isolates and further antimicrobial susceptibility test was done by Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method. Results: Out of 2842 samples, 1980 (67%) were culture positive. Escherichia coli (E coli) was the most prevalent isolate (OP 63%, IP 45.5%) followed by Klebsiella pneumonia (K pneumonia) as the second commonest UTI-causing agent (OP 15.9%, IP 21.7%). High percentage of isolates showed resistance to sulfa drugs such as cotrimoxazole. First generation cephalosporins were ineffective, while aminoglycosides and third generation cephalosporins were effective against E coli, K pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P aeruginosa), Enterococcus faecalis and Staphyococcus aureus (Staph aureus). Furthermore, this study noticed that glycopeptide drugs such as vancomycin are highly effective against E faecalis and Staph aureus UTIs. Conclusion: This study reveals the increased trend in resistance pattern of uropathogens in the valley region. These data may aid health professionals in choosing the appropriate treatment for patients with UTI in the region and hopefully will prevent the misuse of antibiotics. Keywords: Antibiotic sensitivity, drug resistance, E coli, urinary tract infection (UTI