Causative Organisms and Their Sensitivity Pattern of Urinary Tract Infection in Children of a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Objective: To explore the causal organisms and their sensitivity patterns in UTIs among pediatric patients, with the goal of improving management and treatment techniques for pediatric urinary tract infections.

Methods: A prospective observational design was conducted at the Department of Pediatrics, AIMS Hospital Muzaffarabad, AJK, over six months from June 2023 to December 2023. All children aged 0-12 years diagnosed with UTI based on clinical symptoms and laboratory findings, of either gender, were included. Specimens of urine were obtained using clean-catch or catheterization methods and cultured according to established microbiological protocols. Isolated organisms were identified and evaluated for sensitivity to antibiotics.

Results: A total of 82 pediatric patients were studied, with an overall mean age of 8.34 ± 3.44 years. Females comprised 55.7%, and males 44.3%. Escherichia coli was identified as the predominant pathogen in 85.0% of the cases, followed by Klebsiella in 27.5%, Pseudomonas in 15.4%, and Enterobacter in 4.5%. Meropenem, Fosfomycin, Piperacillin/tazobactam, and Nitrofurantoin demonstrated the highest sensitivity patterns against the isolated organisms, with sensitivities exceeding 70% for each antibiotic. However, there was no statistically significant difference observed in the frequency of isolated organisms or antibiotic sensitivity patterns based on the age and gender of the children (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: The predominant causative organism for urinary tract infections was Escherichia coli, followed by Klebsiella and Staphylococcus species. Among the tested antibiotics, Meropenem, Fosfomycin, Piperacillin/tazobactam, and Nitrofurantoin exhibited the highest sensitivity patterns against the isolated organisms, while most were resistant to amoxicillin and ampicillin.