Antibiotic resistance in bacterial urinary tract infections, 1991 to 1997

This study assessed changing patterns of antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli urinary tract infections at a university student health center during three periods: the first 6 months each of 1991, 1994, and 1997. Urine culture and sensitivity results were taken from available medical records of female patients having urine cultures during the three periods (1991, n = 739; 1994, n = 938; 1997, n = 863); age and ethnicity were also noted. In E. coli isolates (the majority of positive cultures), resistance to four antibiotics changed significantly: ampicillin (30% to 45% to 39%), carbenicillin (29% to 42% to 39%), tetracycline (29% to 40% to 23%), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (15% to 32% to 15%). The results raise questions regarding the future clinical reliability of several commonly used antibiotics in the treatment of urinary tract infection.