[Multicentric Screening of Local Antibiotic Resistance in Uncomplicated Urinary System Infections: 1850 Patients from...

Area of Science:

• Medical Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common, necessitating effective antibiotic treatment.
• Geographical variations in pathogen prevalence and antibiotic resistance are increasingly recognized.
• Standardized data collection is crucial for understanding national antimicrobial resistance patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify common pathogens in uncomplicated UTIs across seven Turkish regions.
• To determine geographical variations in antibiotic resistance rates of UTI pathogens.
• To inform empirical treatment guidelines for UTIs in Türkiye.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study of 1850 patients (18-65 years) with uncomplicated UTIs.
• Urine isolates collected from March 2021 to August 2022 across 37 centers in Türkiye.
• Antimicrobial susceptibility testing performed using the disk diffusion method, adhering to European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) guidelines.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant regional differences in resistance to ampicillin, fosfomycin, and nitrofurantoin in Escherichia coli (p<0.05).
• Southeastern Anatolia showed highest resistance to fosfomycin (27.4%) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (35.3%).
• Eastern Anatolia had the highest nitrofurantoin resistance (35.7%), and Central Anatolia the highest ciprofloxacin resistance (51%).

Conclusions:

• Antibiotic resistance patterns for uncomplicated UTIs demonstrably vary by geographical region in Türkiye.
• Findings provide critical data for optimizing empirical antibiotic therapy based on regional resistance profiles.
• This national study offers valuable insights for clinicians managing UTIs nationwide.