Evaluation of antibiotic sensitivities and drug preferences in urinary system infections in terms of rational drug use

This study aims to evaluate antibiotic susceptibility and drug preferences in urinary tract infections (UTIs) from the perspective of rational drug use. The increasing antibiotic resistance complicates the determination of appropriate treatment protocols. Within the scope of our research, retrospective data from hospitalized patients at Yozgat City Hospital were examined, analyzing patients' demographic characteristics, clinical findings, and urine culture results. The distribution of microorganisms causing UTIs and antibiogram tests were evaluated to determine antibiotic resistance rates. Additionally, prescriptions based on randomly selected patients' antibiogram results were assessed in terms of rational antibiotic use. The findings revealed that E. coli is the most common causative agent and exhibits high resistance to many antibiotics. The appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing for E. coli strains was determined to be 65.2%. Moderate resistance was observed in broad-spectrum antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin (56.8%) and piperacillin/tazobactam (53.5%), which is thought to have led to increased meropenem use (22.8%). However, high resistance rates were detected in frequently used agents such as meropenem (32.9%) and ceftriaxone (56.8%). In contrast, amikacin (15.7% resistance, 83.7% susceptibility) and nitrofurantoin (36.6% resistance, 63.4% susceptibility) emerged as more suitable options. For Gram-positive infections, linezolid (98.7%), tigecycline (95.9%), and vancomycin (95.1%) showed high susceptibility. The study also highlights that despite high resistance rates, antibiotics such as clindamycin, cefoxitin, and ampicillin are still being prescribed. Considering susceptibility tests in empirical antibiotic selection, preferring narrow-spectrum agents, and continuing hospital-based resistance monitoring studies are crucial to preventing the spread of resistant pathogens. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the importance of rational drug use in UTI treatment and underscores the necessity of evidence-based approaches in combating antibiotic resistance.