MICROORGANISMS CAUSING URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS IN HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS IN BRAZILIAN PRE-AMAZON REGION

Abstract

Urinary tract infection (UTI) can be considered as the colonization of pathogenic strains in organs such as the urethra, bladder, ureter and kidneys. UTI constitutes a serious public health problem due to its high chance of morbidity and mortality. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the resistance profile of UTI-causing microorganisms isolated from hospitalized patients in the city of São Luís-MA, Brazil, located in the legal Amazon. Urine samples were obtained for convenience from patients admitted to public and private hospitals in São Luís, submitted to antibiograms and then grouped into the following groups: Pediatrics, interns, pregnant women and elderly. Klebsiella pneumoniae (18.74%), Escherichia coli (17.80%) and Candida albicans (15.69%) were the microorganisms most prevalent, respectively. C. albicans strains did not show resistance to the antifungals used in the clinic; however, the first-choice antibiotics (sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, fluoroquinolones, beta-lactams, amoxicillin and nitrofurantoin) used in the treatment of UTI are no longer effective for the bacteria K. pneumoniae and E. coli, since they already present significantly more than 20% of resistant samples. Studies like this are extremely important to conduct empirical treatment and to alert health professionals about the number of samples resistant to various drugs.