Patterns of Antimicrobial Resistance in Urinary Tract Infection Pathogens: Analysis in a Provincial Hospital in Zimbabwe

Introduction. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common infections globally. Rising multidrug-resistant uropathogens in Zimbabwe underscore the need to review their susceptibility profiles. This study examines antimicrobial susceptibility trends of uropathogens in patients from Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital. Methods: This retrospective study included 385 randomly selected UTI-positive patients from 2023. Midstream, clean-catch urine samples were processed using standard microbiological techniques, and statistical analysis was conducted. Results: More females (56.4%) than males (43.6%) had UTIs, with age groups 0–9 and 20–29 years most affected (16.6% each). The predominant uropathogens were E. coli (27.2%), K. pneumoniae (18.4%), Staphylococcus spp. (17.4%), and Enterobacter spp. (12.2%). E. coli was most susceptible to ceftriaxone (93%) and most resistant to doxycycline; K. pneumoniae was most susceptible to chloramphenicol (70.4%). Conclusion: E. coli was the most common uropathogen. Most uropathogens showed susceptibility to ceftriaxone, gentamicin, and chloramphenicol. However, Staphylococcus spp. displayed resistance to norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, nalidixic acid, and doxycycline. The high resistance rates highlight the need for antimicrobial stewardship and confirmatory testing before prescribing.