Antibiotic Resistance Profile of Escherichia coli from Urine of Patients with Suspected Urinary Tract Infections in Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Nigeria

Aims: This study investigated the antibiotic resistance profile of Escherichia coli from the urine of patients with suspected urinary tract infections in Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Nigeria. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Sample was obtained from the Federal Medical Center, Keffi and analyzed at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Nigeria, between January and April 2018. Methodology: Three hundred and eighty urine samples were collected and E. coli was isolated and identified using standard microbiological methods. Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing for the isolates was carried out and interpreted as described by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Results: The occurrence of the bacterium was 12.9% (49/380). The occurrence in relation to the gender of the patients was higher in the female (15.5%) than the male (9.8%); in relation to age, it was highest at 11-20 years (23.5%) but lowest at > 50 years (2.3%). The isolates were more resistant to ampicillin (81.6%), streptomycin and sulphamethoxazole/ trimethoprime (75.0%) but less resistant to gentamycin (30.6%), and imipenem (22.4%). The occurrences of different classes of resistance were multidrug resistance (MDR) (93.9%) and pan drug resistance (4.2%). Most of the isolates were more resistant to the commonly prescribed antibiotic and were also MDR isolates. Conclusion: The need to review antibiotic use by the hospital is thus justified.