Abstract:
The objective of this study was to assess antibiotic resistance among enterococci
isolated from patients with urinary tract infections in Khartoum State. The study was
conducted during the period from May to August, 2012.
Mid-stream urine specimens were collected from each patient suspected to urinary
tract infection. The specimens were cultured on blood and MacConkey’s agar for
primary isolation of the pathogens. Identification of these pathogens were done by
colonial morphology, Gram’s stain and biochemical tests. Modified Kirby–Bauer disk
diffusion method was adopted to assess the antibiotic resistance among the isolated
enterococci. The antibiotics assessed were vancomycin, ciprofloxacin, gentamycin,
imipenem, nitrofurantoin and co- trimixazole.
Out of 200 urine specimens investigated153 (76.5%) yielded bacterial growth and 47
(23.5%) failed to demonstrate any bacterial growth. Identified enterococci were E.
faecalis (22) and E. faecium. (11). Antibiotic susceptibility analysis revealed that the
resistance rate of enterococcal species was 63.6% for co-trimixazole, 60.6% for
vancomycin, 51.5% for ciprofloxacin and 15.2% to 6.1% for the rest of antibiotics
tested.
The study concluded that the rate of antibiotic resistance is high among enterococcal
isolated from patients with urinary tract infections. Further studies are required to
validate these results.
