Urinary tract infection in cancer patients and antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infections are the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with cancer. The emergence of multiple-drug-resistant (MDR) strains of gram-negative bacteria causing urinary tract infection has become a serious concern in cancer patients. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the spectrum and antibiotic resistance pattern of bacterial isolates related to urinary tract infections among cancer patients at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Hospital based prospective cross-sectional study was conducted for three months from January to March 2018 in tertiary care hospital located in the capital city of the country. Gram-negative bacteria isolated from urine specimens from hospitalized patients with cancer were characterized using standard microbiological methods. Modified Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion technique was applied for antimicrobial susceptibility testing in accordance with CLSI 2019 criteria. RESULTS: Of totally 292 urine samples tested, eighteen (6.3%) were culture positive cases, Escherichia coli (44.4%) was the highest proportion isolated uropathogen followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (22.2%) and Citrobacter diversus (16.7%). The antibiotic susceptibility results showed meropenem and nitrofurantoin as the most effective antibiotics for E. coli, K. pneumoniae, and Citrobacter diversus isolates. The rate of multidrug resistant (MDR) isolates were 33.3% (6/18), and meropenem and nitrofurantoin were the most effective antibiotic against MDR isolates. CONCLUSION: The study findings showed a significant distribution of MDR gram-negative bacteria which may increase the burden of urinary tract associated infections in cancer patients. Carbapenem (meropenem) can be considered as effective agents to treat MDR cases in our region.