Prevalence of urinary tract infections and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of uropathogens isolated from children attending Brak general hospital and Sebha medical center in South Libya

Abstract

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a significant cause of morbidity in children. Delayed treatment is associated with complications that may result in chronic kidney disease and, subsequently, end-stage kidney disease and it is also a significant health concern due to multidrug-resistant (MDR) organisms. Therefore, it is necessary to have a current understanding of the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of uropathogens to manage UTI effectively. This study aims to determine the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility of uropathogens isolated from UTI children attending brak hospital and sebha hospital. Standard protocols for microbiological processes were followed in the collection and processing of catch midstream urine samples. Out of the 214 child samples, 63 (29.4%) samples had positive microbiological culture. Females had a higher prevalence of UTI (18.2%) than males (11.2%), The most susceptible age group was 5 months –5 years as compared other ages. The most prevalent pathogen identified were Escherichia coli (50.8%), followed by Klebsiella spp. (17.5%), Pseudomonas spp (14.3%). Proteus spp (11.1%) and Staphylococci spp. (6.3%). Our study's susceptibility pattern also showed that the most effective antibiotics against the isolated bacteria were imipenem and amikacin. However, the most resistant drugs were ampicillin and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, while the other drugs affected the isolated bacteria differently. Children's UTI treatment necessitates particular attention to important factors like incidence rate, laboratory diagnosis, and antibiotic susceptibility testing because UTIs are among the most common bacterial illnesses. It also suggests that doctors should modify their treatment plan based on antimicrobial susceptibility results.