Abstract

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children are among the most frequent bacterial infections they may suffer, causing a considerable degree of morbidity. The emergence of uropathogens resistant to antimicrobial agents is making treatment and management more difficult.

Aims and Objectives: The aims and objectives of study are to evaluate the patterns of antimicrobial susceptibilities and resistance among common uropathogens in pediatric UTIs.

Materials and Methods: This is one-year cross-sectional study at MES Medical College, Perinthalmanna, on patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy for symptomatic gallstones. Fifty-four children had a culture-confirmed UTI; their urine samples were studied. All pathogens were tested for antibiotic susceptibility using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method.

Results: Escherichia coli was the most common pathogen isolated, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. There was a low sensitivity for cephalexin and cefepime (12.03–26.75%), whereas piperacillin-tazobactam (100%) and amikacin had high sensitivity (88.89%).

Conclusion: The present study showed high antimicrobial resistance among common uropathogens causing pediatric UTIs. Optimal treatment aims to reduce the spread of resistant strains, necessitating continued monitoring of resistance patterns and the conservative use of antibiotics.

Key words: Pediatric Urinary Tract Infection; Antimicrobial Resistance; Uropathogens; Escherichia coli; Antibiotic Susceptibility