Simple microbiological method for the identification of antimicrobial agents prescribed in general practice

Area of Science:

• Clinical microbiology
• Pharmacology
• Urology

Background:

• Antimicrobial agents are commonly prescribed for urinary tract infections.
• Accurate identification of antimicrobial substances in urine is crucial for effective treatment and monitoring.
• Unidentified antimicrobial activity in urine can complicate diagnosis and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a simple microbiological method for identifying antimicrobial agents in urine specimens.
• To determine the prevalence of antimicrobial activity in routine urine samples.
• To identify the types of antimicrobial substances present, including unusual ones.

Main Methods:

• A microbiological assay was developed to detect antimicrobial activity in urine.
• 1,514 consecutive urine specimens from general practitioners were analyzed.
• Antimicrobial agents were identified using the developed method.

Main Results:

• Antimicrobial activity was detected in 302 (19.94%) of the 1,514 urine specimens.
• The antibacterial agent was confidently identified in 284 samples.
• A significant proportion, 83 (5.48%) samples, contained an antimicrobial substance not typically used for urinary tract infections.

Conclusions:

• The described microbiological method is effective for identifying antimicrobial agents in urine.
• A notable percentage of urine samples exhibit antimicrobial activity, necessitating routine screening.
• The presence of unusual antimicrobial substances in urine warrants further investigation and may impact patient management.