Prevalence of extended spectrum β-Lactamase producing Escherichia coli among hospitalized and outpatient children in Shohada Hospital in Qaen during 2017-2018

Background: Antibiotic resistance in pathogens, especially Escherichia coli, has become a major treatment issue. One of the most common resistance mechanisms is the production of extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) enzymes. Given the importance of the ESBL-producing bacteria, it is necessary to determine their prevalence in each region. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of ESBL-producing E. coli in pediatric hospitalized patients and outpatients in Shohada Hospital in Qaen city. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 223 samples of E. coli obtained from two groups of hospitalized patients and outpatients in Shohada Hospital in Qaen city. To confirm the E. coli strains, selective culture media and biochemical tests were used. The antibiotic susceptibility of the strains was determined by the disk diffusion method, and detection of the ESBL phenotype strains was performed by the combined disk method. Results: The prevalence of ESBL-producing E. coli was 30%. Also, the prevalence rates of ESBL-producing E. coli in hospitalized patients and outpatients were 50% and 24.4%, respectively. The ESBL strains showed the highest resistance to ceftriaxone, cefexime, cefazolin and cefotaxime antibiotics, and the least resistance to nitrofurantoin and amikacin. Conclusion: The findings show a higher prevalence of ESBL-producing E. coli in hospitalized patients compared to outpatients, which indicates a wide spread of antibiotic-resistant strains in hospitals. Therefore, continuous monitoring and rapid identification of these strains can play an important role in preventing the spread of ESBL genes