Antibacterial Susceptibility Patterns of UTI Pathogens among Different Age Groups in Lahore, Pakistan

Background. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a significant health problem. They affect individuals across all age groups globally, with a higher prevalence among women and patients with chronic disorders such as diabetes. Methodology. The current study was performed in the Department of Urology at The University of Lahore to explore the susceptibility of UTIs across different age groups in this region. For this purpose, 157 patients presented with the symptoms of frequent urination and pain during urination were considered. These also included some patients admitted in The University of Lahore Teaching Hospital. Midstream urine samples were collected from patients and cultured. Bacterial colonies of positive cultures were identified through morphological characteristics and serological tests such as Lancefield grouping. Additionally, biochemical tests and API 20E were used to identify members of the Enterobacteriaceae family. The data was analyzed using SPSS (version 25.0). Results. In this study, the overall prevalence of UTIs was 53.5%, with the highest incidence of UTIs occurring in patients aged 25 to 45 years. The frequently identified isolates comprised Escherichia coli which accounted for 46 (54.8%) cases, followed by Enterococcus species accounting for 11 (13.1%) cases, Klebsiella species accounting for 07 (8.3%) cases, and Staphylococcus aureus accounting for another 07 (8.3%) cases. Furthermore, it was found that gram-negative bacteria showed a high level of resistance with 73.3% for cefixime, 73.2% for ceftriaxone, 73.0% for ceftazidime, and a relatively low level of resistance against fosfomycin (15.9%) and nitrofurantoin (16.3%). On the other hand, gram-positive isolates showed a higher level of resistance against penicillin (66.7%). Whereas, all isolates were found to be sensitive to gentamycin (100%). Conclusion. Routine antimicrobial susceptibility testing prior to antibiotic prescription is recommended. Aminoglycosides, fosfomycin, and nitrofurantoin proved to be the most effective drugs of choice against these bacteria.