Isolation, Characterization and Antibiogram of Klebsiella Pneumoniae from Urine Samples of Patients Attending Ahmadu Bello University Medical Center, Zaria

Introduction: Klebsiella pneumoniae is the second most leading cause of Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) after E. coli. Due to antibiotic resistance exhibited by K. pneumoniae, management of urinary tract infection becomes difficult leading to more serious diseases. Objectives: The study objectives included, determining the prevalence of K. pneumoniae, its antibiotic susceptibility, socio-demographic, clinical signs/symptoms and risk factors associated with urinary tract infection. Materials and Methods: Ethical approval was obtained from the Research and Ethics Committee of ABU Medical Center. Fifty (50) urine samples were collected from the patients between June and September, 2023, and analyzed by culture, microscopy and biochemical tests. A structured questionnaire was administered to the patients to determine socio-demographic and risk factors associated with K. pneumoniae infection. Results: From the research conducted, a prevalence of 16% was obtained for Klebsiella pneumoniae. The prevalence in relation to socio-demographic factors revealed patients within the age group of 26-38 years (23.5%), male (23.8%) and those with tertiary level of education (17.1%) had the highest prevalence. Prevalence in relation to risk factors showed patients without underlying ill-health condition (16.2%) and those not using urinary catheter (16%) had higher prevalence. The most predominant symptom reported by the subjects was frequent urge to urinate (15.6%) followed by painful urination (15.4%). K. pneumoniae isolates were susceptible to Ciprofloxacin (87.5%), Gentamicin (75%), but resistant to Chloramphenicol (62.5%). Conclusion: Public health enlightenment should be conducted on the need for proper hygienic practices in order to prevent K. pneumoniae infections. In addition, Ciprofloxacin and Gentamicin could be used as treatment protocol for K. pneumoniae infections