Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns of Escherichia Coli in Pediatric Urinary Tract Infections in Karbala, Iraq: A Four-Year Retrospective Study

One of the primary microorganisms responsible for urinary tract infections (UTIs) is Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). Recent years have shown an increase in the prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria and UPEC with high antibiotic resistance, which could make treatment more challenging. The study intended to determine the prevalence and antibiotic resistance pattern of E. coli from suspected pediatric urinary tract infections in Karbela, Iraq. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Department of Microbiology Laboratory at Karbala Teaching Hospital for Children, Iraq, from August 2023 to February 2024.Data for antimicrobial susceptibility test results collect from 409 pediatric patients among 2020 to 2023. Data were analyzed using excel software. The result show females had a higher prevalence of UTIs compared to males across all study years. The prevalence of UPEC isolates varied seasonally, with peaks occurring in different months for different years. Overall, resistance rates to many antibiotics were high, particularly Nalidixic acid, Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin, and Ceftriaxone. While some antibiotics showed slight variations in resistance between males and females. Amikacin and Nitrofurantoin demonstrated higher effectiveness against UPEC. The proportion of UPEC isolates varied by age group, with the 1–5-year age group showing the highest prevalence. The present study concluded high prevalence of UPEC with Multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolated from urinary tract infection in Karbala city, Iraq.