Isolation and Identification of Bacteria Causing Urinary Tract Infections in Kidney Stone Patients in Baghdad, Iraq

 Introduction: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) represent one of the most common bacterial infections globally and are particularly prevalent among hospitalised patients. The presence of urinary tract stones often increases susceptibility to UTIs, with Escherichia coli being the leading causative agent. Methods: One hundred UTI patients with kidney stones (60 females and 40 males) had urine samples taken. Each sample was cultivated on MacConkey agar medium with blood. Using the Vitek-2 Advanced Expert System, 30 bacterial isolates—24 gram-negative and 6 gram positive strains—were identified during incubation. The disc diffusion technique was used to investigate the antibacterial susceptibility of ten commonly used medications.Results: Of the 30 isolates, 20% (6/30) were from males, while 80% (24/30) were from females. Proteus mirabilis (33.3%), Staphylococcus spp. (6.6%), Salmonella spp. (6.6%), and Klebsiella spp. (3.3%) were the most common isolates, after E. coli (50%). Trimethoprim was ineffective against gram-negative isolates, while ciprofloxacin demonstrated the highest inhibition rate (75%). Ciprofloxacin was 100% effective against gram-positive isolates, whereas penicillin had no inhibitory activity (0%). The findings show that E. coli is the most common uropathogen in patients with urinary stones and that UTIs are more common in women. Conclusion: Antibiotic susceptibility patterns reveal resistance to regularly used drugs. Ciprofloxacin continues to be the most effective antibiotic against both gram-positive and gram-negative uropathogens. In order to effectively manage UTI treatment, the study emphasises the significance of continuous surveillance and antibiotic stewardship. How to cite this article:Hussein A U, Abdulhussein A J, Al-lami R B Q, Ahmed N, Shakir M N, Gati M A, Sahib A A, Al-Jassani M J. Isolation and Identification of Bacteria Causing Urinary Tract Infections in Kidney Stone Patients in Baghdad, Iraq. J Commun Dis. 2025;57(3):103-110. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/0019.5138.202574