Isolation and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Pathogens Causing Urinary Tract Infections During COVID-19 Pandemic in Mardan Division

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are multifactorial diseases due to several pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and parasites. But bacteria are the primary pathogen that causes UTIs. One of the most frequent causes of nosocomial infections in the community is urinary tract infection. This study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic at various hospitals and laboratories of the Mardan Division from December 2020 to November 2021. Mid-stream urine was collected as samples from patients with UTI. Whole samples were injected into MacConkey and Blood agar, and then the urease, catalase, and indole analyses were performed to identify gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, respectively. The CLSI was followed while doing culture sensitivity tests for various antibiotics. Determining the prevalence of UTIs was the study's main objective; next, the most effective antibiotic for uropathogenic bacteria was investigated. Twenty-two percent of the samples, or 117/531, were positive for UTIs. Of them, 64.9% of the samples collected are from the female community. The medium to older demographic has the highest chance of UTI in the age distribution. After 117 isolates had been obtained, the most abundant urinary tract infectious microorganisms detected were E. Col (62.4%) and Klebsiella spp. (11.1%), and Pseudomonas (7.7%). According to antibiotic susceptibility testing, the most resistant medications include gentamicin and meropenem. Nevertheless, the most sensitive antibiotics include ciprofloxacin and meropenem. The current study concludes that urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a severe multi-pathogenic issue that is prevalent in the Mardan Division.