The Role of Stratified Cumulative Antibiograms in the (Choice of Appropriate Antibiotics in Urinary Tract Infection) Management of Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common bacterial diseases both in communities and in hospitalized patients, and at the same, time they are one of the most common indications for the use of antibiotics. UTI guidelines are generally available nationally or internationally, but they do not address all aspects of UTI treatment for different patient cohorts, age, gender, or comorbidities. The aim of the study was to point out the importance of stratified cumulative antibiograms at the level of individual health care facilities and the significant differences between epidemiological data, not only at the national level, but also at the local level. Our study analyses data from 383 patients with UTIs from a hospital department, General University Hospital (GUH), and 272 patients from an outpatient medical facility, Urocentrum (UC). This analysis focuses on the most common UTI causative agent, <i>Escherichia coli</i>, its representation as the causative agent of UTI in patients with complicated acute cystitis (N30), and its representation in complicated acute cystitis in patients with prostate cancer (C61). In addition to the frequency of occurrence, a sub-analysis of the incidence of resistance of <i>E. coli</i> to commonly used antibiotics by age, gender, diagnosis, and medical facility was performed. Results: The most common causative agent of UTI was <i>E. coli</i>. In patients with N30, it was 70% in GUH and 54% in UC, but in oncological patients with UTI, it was only 39% and 35%, respectively. In patients with UTI in C61, there was a significant difference in susceptibility of <i>E. coli</i> between individual health care facilities. Lower resistance was found in UC opposite to GUH isolates in ampicillin, with 29.8% vs. 65%, <i>p</i> = 0.001; amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, with 8.5% vs. 30%, <i>p</i> = 0.01; with 2.1% vs. 17.5% in pivmecillinam, <i>p</i> = 0.01; with 10.6% vs. 37.5% in co-trimoxazole, <i>p</i> = 0.003; and ciprofloxacin, with 10.6% vs. 30%, <i>p</i> = 0.04. The study shows significant differences in the sensitivity of urinary <i>E. coli</i> isolates in patients in relation to age, gender, medical devices, and the presence of comorbidities.