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

This study was aimed to identify the most frequently observed pathogens in uncomplicated urinary tract infections from outpatient urinary isolates obtained across seven different geographical regions in Türkiye and to determine whether the antibiotic resistance rates of these pathogens differ significantly between these regions. The study included patients aged 18 to 65 years who were diagnosed with uncomplicated urinary tract infections and had positive urine cultures from March 2021 to August 2022, across 37 different centers in Türkiye. The participating centers were selected based on their use of the disk diffusion method, in line with the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) guidelines, to ensure standardization of urine culture data. A total of 1850 patients who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. The analysis of the distribution of antibiotic resistance rates in Escherichia coli isolates revealed statistically significant differences in resistance to ampicillin, fosfomycin and nitrofurantoin across different regions (p< 0.05, p< 0.05, p< 0.05, respectively). The Southeastern Anatolia region was identified as having the highest resistance rates to fosfomycin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (27.4% and 35.3%, respectively). Additionally, the region with the highest nitrofurantoin resistance was determined as the Eastern Anatolia Region with a rate of 35.7% and the region with the highest ciprofloxacin resistance was determined as the Central Anatolia Region with a rate of 51%. Our study demonstrated that antibiotic resistance in the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections varies by geographical region. We believe this comprehensive, national prospective study will provide valuable insights for clinicians planning empirical treatment for uncomplicated urinary tract infections.