Objective: Determination of sensitivity to antibiotics and chemotherapeutics of 160 E. coli strains isolated from 2007 to 2008 from cases of hospital urinary tract infections and assessment the ability to produce ESBL by these strains.
Methods: The susceptibility of E. coli strains to ampicillin, amikacin, amoxicillin with clavulanic acid, aztreonam, cephalothin, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, cefuroxime, ciprofloxacin, ertapenemem, gentamicin, imipenem, meropenemem, nitrofurantoin, piperacillin, piperacillin with tazobactam, tetracycline, and trimethoprim with sulfamethoxazole was tested by using a disc-diffusion method. Ability to producing ESBL was detected by using double disc synergy test.
Results: The analysis revealed a high percentage of strains resistant to ampicillin (56.8%). Strains showing resistance to tetracycline (35%), trimethoprim with sulfamethoxazole (23.1%), ciprofloxacin (19.4%), gentamicin (3.75%) and nitrofurantoin (3.75%) were also obtained. The percentage of strains resistant to amoxicillin with clavulanic acid among those isolated in 2007 was 2.9%, and in group of strains obtained in 2008 was 20.6%. Production of ESBL was observed in 4.4% of strains, which in addition to resistance to penicillin and cephalosporins showed resistance to antibiotics belonging to other groups. Multi-drug resistant strains were also obtained, which did not produce ESBL.
Conclusions: Increasing resistance to some of the antibiotics and the emergence of multi-drug resistant strains clearly indicate the need for continuous monitoring of antibiotic susceptibility in uropathogenic E. coli strains.