Bacterial Uropathogens, Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profile and Associated Factors among Pediatric Patients in Bahir Dar, Northwest Ethiopia.

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) in the pediatric group may lead to end-stage renal dysfunction later in life. Tracking the type of the isolates and their antimicrobial resistance pattern would impact the management of UTI in these group. The aim of this study was to describe the distribution of bacterial uropathogenes, their antimicrobial susceptibility profile and factors associated with significant bacteriuria (SBU) among pediatric patients at selected facilities in Bahir Dar, Northwest Ethiopia.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 February to 30 June 2020. About 5-10ml of urine samples were collected from pediatrics presumptive for UTI and a urine sample was considered positive for SBU if a single organism was grown at a concentration of ≥10cfu/ml. Antimicrobial sensitivity testing was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with SBU and statistical significance was set at p-value < 0.05.

Results: Of the total 299 study participants, the majority 173 (57.9%) were females. The mean age of the participants was 6.6 years. The proportion of significant bacteriuria was at 49(16.4%). Most, 37 (75.5%) of the isolates were Gram-negative. The most predominant isolate was E. coli, 21(42.9%) followed by P. aeruginosa, 6(12.2%) and coagulase negative staphylococci, 6(12.2%). The level of multi-drug resistance among Gram-positive and Gram-negatives was at 50% and 78.4%, respectively. Participants' sex, circumcision status, having a flank pain and being malnourished were statistically associated with significant bacteriuria.

Conclusion: Actions to minimize antimicrobial resistance should be strengthened to reduce the impact of UTI among the pediatric group.