[Microbial sensitivity of Escherichia coli in community-acquired urinary tract infections]

For effective empiric therapy of urinary tract infections in the extra-hospital setting the susceptibility pattern of uropathogens should be considered. Moreover, the evolution in sensitivity can be observed when comparing with susceptibility patterns in the previous years. This paper presents an analysis of our experience with Escherichia coli.

During 2002 and 1998, 895 and 595 strains of Escherichia coli respectively, isolated from extrahospitalary bacteriurias were collected in ten health centers in Bierzo (León, Spain). Sensitivity to nine most commonly antibiotics used in the clinical practise was determined. The existence of significant differences of susceptibility among years (2002-1998) was analyzed by the chi square test.

Escherichia coli accounted for 63.4% of all isolates in 2002 and 50.8% in 1998. The prevalence of in-vitro susceptibilities to antibiotics were (2002-1998): fosfomycin (99.2%-99.3%; p = NS*), cefixime (98.3%-92.9%; p < 0.001), cefuroxime (96.5%-94.1%; p < 0.05), nitrofurantoin (94.5%-86.9%; p < 0.001), amoxycillin-clavulanic acid (93.1%-90.1%; p < 0.05), ciprofloxacin (77.1%-81.6%; p < 0.05), norfloxacin (75.8%-80.3%; p < 0.05), cotrimoxazole (71.5%-73.4%; p = NS*) and ampicillin (44%-41.4%; p = NS*). (*NS = No significant differences).

The knowledge of the sensitivity of uropathogens to antimicrobians in a specific medium can allow us to use antibiotics rationally and initiate empirical therapy.