Antibiotic Resistance Patterns In Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are prevalent, particularly in women, and recurrent UTIs (ruts) are a serious clinical management issue. Antibiotics resistance is now a significant challenge making treatment outcomes difficult. The knowledge of resistance trends in recurrent UTIs is important in designing specific treatment programs and enhancing patient outcomes. Objectives: The purpose of the study is to determine the trends that occurred in antibiotic resistance among patients with recurrent urinary tract infections and determine the main factors predictive of resistance to establish effective treatment-based decisions. Study design: A cross-sectional study. Place and duration of study: Department of Pharmacology Watim Medical And Dental College, Rawalpindi from jan 2024 to june 2024 Methods:Patients diagnosed with recurrent UTIs within a 6-month period at a tertiary care hospital were recruited to participate in the cross-sectional study. Urine samples were taken and bacterial pathogens were detected. Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method was used in antibiotic susceptibility testing. Patient demographics, prior use of antibiotics, and presence of co morbidities were gathered to determine their correlations with resistance patterns of antibiotics. Results: 50 patients with recurrent UTIs were examined whose average age consisted of 45.7 (SD = 12.3). The commonest pathogen was Escherichia coli, where it was detected in 60 percent of samples. Impressive resistance rates were noted against widely used antibiotics such as ampicillin (72%), ciprofloxacin (55%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (62%). The prior antibiotic use had a strong connection with the high level of resistance as the result of statistical analysis showed (P-value < 0.01). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that co morbidities such as diabetes and often prescribed antibiotics were largely associated with increased rates of resistance. Conclusion: the simmering problem of developing antibiotic resistance in repeated UTIs, especially to first-line antibiotics. History of use of antibiotics and co morbidities were main characteristics in determining resistance patterns. Individual patient history, antibiotic stewardship, and available alternatives should be used to formulate effective management strategies to overcome the emerging dominance of antibiotic-resistant UTI pathogens.