Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Escherichia coli in a Tertiary-level hospital

This study was designed to achieve more effective treatment for patients and to encourage the development of new antibiotics, specifically targeting multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli. This bacterium is one of the primary causative agents of hospital-acquired infections (HAI). It is classified as a critical priority pathogen for the development of new antibiotics according to the World Health Organization (2024). In this study, 76 isolates from four bacterial genera were analyzed. E. coli was identified as the most prevalent infectious agent with 52% of the isolates, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (20%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12%), and Acinetobacter baumannii (16%). Internal Medicine was the hospital department with the highest frequency of E. coli infections. Sixty-five percent of the samples were derived from urine. This bacterium was more prevalent in females (57.5%) than in males (42.5%). The highest resistance rates were observed for Ampicillin and Ciprofloxacin, with 90% and 77.5% respectively, while the lowest resistance was found for the Carbapenems Ertapenem, Meropenem, and Aminoglycoside Amikacin, with 22.5%. Twenty-two point five percent of the E. coli isolates were classified as resistant, and 77.5% as multidrug-resistant. Sixty-two point five percent were extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers. All of these isolates resisted Ampicillin, while 4% were resistant to Ertapenem, Meropenem, and Amikacin. E. coli was identified as the primary causative pathogen of HAI in the Hospital under study and demonstrated resistance to most currently prescribed antibiotics.