Abstract :
Background: Knowledge of antimicrobial susceptibility patterns is required to prescribe empirical therapy and formulate guidelines for the treatment of urinary tract infections. This study assesses the etiology and antimicrobial susceptibility of the main uropathogens in Jordanian children.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on a positive urine cultures taken from children aged below 15 years, who attended as outpatient clinics or inpatient at Princess Rahmah Hospital between January and December/2008. The obtained data analysed and the results were tabulated.Results: A total of 597 isolates were recovered from children with lower urinary tract infections. Uropathogens were isolated more in females (82%) than in males. The most frequent pathogen found was Escherichia coli (72.9%), followed by Klebsiella spp. (19.9%), Proteus spp. (3%), Pseudomonas spp (2%), Staphylococcus aureus (1%), Streptococcus spp (0.7%), and Enterobacter spp. (0.5%). The highest susceptibility rate of E. coli was 100% to both amikacin and ceftriaxone, followed by cefotaxime (89.4%), ciprofloxacin (85.5%), and gentamicin (83.9%). Whereas the lowest susceptibility rates were 27.5%, 21.6% and 16.0% to cotrimoxazole, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and ampicillin respectively.Conclusions: E. coli was the main uropathogen in children patients. The most of E. coli isolates were susceptible to amikacin, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin and gentamicin. Overall cotrimoxazole, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and ampicillin resistance rate was near 75% or more, and this rate was not affected according to the type of urinary infection. This information should be considered when empirical therapy is recommended or prescribed for children with Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) in Jordan.
