Isolation and Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Escherichia coli from Urinary Tract Infections in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Isfahan

Urinary tract infection (UTI) can be caused by Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella species, Enterobacter species, and Proteus species. E. coli is the most common organism causing both community as well as hospital-acquired UTI. often leading to serious secondary health issues. Different factors such as age, gender, immunosuppression, and urological instrumentation can affect prevalence of UTI. Detection of UTI causing pathogens and analyzing resistance pattern of these pathogens to commonly prescribed antibiotics in the clinical practice is essential and helpful in improving the efficacy of empirical treatment. UTI caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli increases the cost of treatment, morbidity, and mortality, especially in developing countries like Iran. The resistance rate of uropathogenic E. coli to various antibiotics has been reported as beta-lactams (57.4%), co-trimoxazole (48.5%), quinolones (74.5%), gentamicin (58.2%), amikacin (33.4%), cefuroxime (56%), and nalidixic acid (77.7%), However, these antibiotic sensitivity patterns may vary in different geographical locations.