Prevalence and Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Escherichia coli among Hospitalised Patients at Thika District Hospital

Background: Emerging resistance to antimicrobial drugs increases morbidity and mortality by hampering the provision of effective chemotherapy, and makes treatment more costly. The emergence of resistance to antimicrobial agents is a global public health problem, especially in pathogens causing nosocomial infections.Objectives: To determine the carriage of E. coli from wounds and urine in catheterised inpatients at Thika District Hospital (TDH) and to determine antimicrobial resistance patterns to β-lactams, aminoglycosides and (fluoro) quinolones.Design: A cross-sectional study.Setting: Thika District Hospital among hospitalised patients.Subjects: A total of 450 specimens were collected and forty two (42) Escherichia coli isolated. Pus swabs were collected from wounds and urine was collected aseptically from the inpatients with catheters. Escherichia coli were identified by culture methods and biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method and interpreted according to Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute recommendations.Results: Susceptibility results in aminoglycosides were, resistance for amikacin, gentamicin and kanamycin was 20%, 39% and 51% respectively. Resistance in penicillin was ampicillin 85% and piperacillin 83%. Resistance for sulfamethoxazole was 83%, tetracycline 66 %, nalidixic acid 44 % and chloramphenicol 39%. In amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, resistance was 68%. Cephalosporins’ resistance was ceftazidime 22 %, cefotaxime 56 %. Resistance for imipenem and tazobactam was 7% and 12 % respectively.Conclusion: Due to observations on resistance to antimicrobial agents commonly used in Thika District Hospital, this shows that there is need to revise antimicrobial policy in this region in the treatment of E. coli infections