Antibiotic resistance patterns among uropathogenic bacteria isolated from patients with urinary tract infections in Baghdad hospitals

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections globally, with increasing concern over rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR), particularly in developing countries. Identifying the causative uropathogens and their resistance profiles is crucial for guiding effective treatment this study aimed to determine the prevalence of uropathogenic bacteria and assess their antibiotic resistance patterns among patients diagnosed with UTIs in Baghdad hospitals. Methods: A total of 1,860 patients aged 16–60 years with suspected UTIs were enrolled between January and September 2024. Urine samples were cultured, and Bacterial identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing were performed using the VITEK2 automated system. Results: Positive bacterial cultures were obtained from 507 patients (27.25%), with a female predominance (77.12%). Klebsiella pneumoniae (17.75%) was the most frequently isolated pathogen, followed by Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus (15.38% each). High resistance rates (>70%) were observed for ceftazidime, fusidic acid, and oxacillin, while tigecycline showed 0% resistance across all isolates. Carbapenems (imipenem, meropenem) and linezolid demonstrated low resistance rates (<20%). Conclusion: The study highlights an alarming prevalence of multidrug-resistant uropathogens in Baghdad, particularly Klebsiella pneumoniae, which surpassed E. coli as the leading UTI pathogen. These findings underscore the need for continuous surveillance and judicious antibiotic use to curb resistance trends and guide empirical therapy.