Prevalence of multidrug resistant pathogens from community and health care associated urinary tract infections

Abstract

Introduction: Health care–associated infections (HCA) are a risk factor for multidrug resistant pathogens. However, limited data of this epidemiological category for urinary tract infections (UTI) is available. Methods: This was a prospective and observational study of adult patients coming from community who were attended as outpatients or hospitalized for urinary tract infections at a general Hospital (December 2011-November 2012). Patients who had residency at nursing homes, chronic haemodialysis, intravenous drug infusions or wound care at home, prior hospitalization >= 2 days in the preceding 90 days and chronic indwelling urinary catheters were considered to have HCA-UTI. Results: A total of 87 patients were included, of whom 42 (48%) and 45 (52%) were considered to have community acquired UTI (CA-UTI) and HCA-UTI respectively. The most frequent pathogens were: E. coli (74% vs. 47%), K pneumoniae (12% vs. 20%), and E. faecalis (5% vs. 7%) for CA-UTI and HCA-UTI respectively. Prevalence of MDR: 10% and 49% (p<0.01) for CAUTI and HCA-UTI respectively. Conclusions: Our study suggests that HCA-UTI should represent a category of UTI epidemiologically and microbiologically distinct from CA-UTI. Physicians should correctly identify these patients in order to provide optimal clinical management.