A retrospective study of multidrug-resistant bacteria associated with urinary tract infections in intensive care units of the main hospitals in Al-Anbar, Iraq | ||
| Microbes and Infectious Diseases | ||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 26 June 2025 | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/mid.2025.391253.2852 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Thaer Abdullah Hasan* 1; Shaimaa Noori Mahal2; Fairooz Bahr Sultan2 | ||
| 1Department of Biology, College of Education, University of Fallujah, Anbar, Iraq | ||
| 2Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Fallujah, Anbar, Iraq | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Background: Intensive care unit (ICU) is one of the most critical places upon patients in the world. Patient who admit to the ICU received a catheter as routine process and this catheter is the main cause of Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI). Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the prevalence, resistance patterns, and clinical impact of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens causing urinary tract infections (UTIs) in ICUs across major hospitals in Al-Anbar, Iraq. Methods: This retrospective study analysed multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria that cause urinary tract infections (UTIs) in intensive care units (ICUs) across major hospitals in Al-Anbar, Iraq, from September 2021 to September 2024. Set of data were collected from patients records at two main hospitals, including the patients with catheters and who got UTI after admitting the ICU with total number of (n= 290) patients. Patients age, gender and date of sample collection were recorded. In addition, pathogens type isolation, susceptibility results, catheter insertion date and the duration of stay were all investigated from all ICUs departments during this study. Results: Among 290 ICU patients, catheter-associated UTIs were prevalent (86.2%), with Escherichia coli (26.4%), Candida albicans (22.2%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (12%) being the most common pathogens. Alarmingly, 27.2% of isolates were MDR, with E. coli (45.7%) and K. pneumoniae (34.3%) showing the highest resistance rates. Temporal trends revealed escalating resistance to amoxicillin/clavulanate (120% increase), meropenem (5-fold rise), and cefepime (doubled resistance), while fluoroquinolones maintained persistently high resistance. Notably, trimethoprim resistance declined sharply in 2024, suggesting successful stewardship interventions. Conclusion: These findings underscore the critical need for revised empirical antibiotic guidelines, further improve the control of infection measures, and robust antimicrobial administration programs to strive against the growing threat of MDR UTIs in Iraqi ICUs. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria; Intensive Care Units; Al-Anbar | ||
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