Antibiotic Susceptibility Profile of Gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae from Women Attending Selected Hospitals in Sokoto, North Western Nigeria

Aims: The aim of our study is to isolate, characterize as well as determine the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of Gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae from women attending some selected hospitals in Sokoto, North western Nigeria.

Study Design: The study was designed to isolate and characterize Gram-negative organisms isolated from women attending some selected hospitals in Sokoto state. Only women of age 18 years and above were included. Each of the participants gave a written and verbal consent of their willingness to participate in the study.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in a tertiary specialist hospital and 3 other secondary health facilities within Sokoto metropolis for a period of 5 months (March to August, 2018).

Methodology: Urine samples were inoculated on prepared CLED agar. Samples count up to and greater than 106cfu/ml were considered positive. Microgen GN-ID was used to identify the bacterial isolates based on manufacturer’s instruction. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was determined against 8 antibiotics using the modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method on Mueller Hinton agar. Results of AST were interpreted using the CLSI guideline.

Results: A total of 411 urine samples were analyzed during the period. Out of the 411 samples, 73 (17.8%) were Gram negative isolates. The AST showed that the Gram-negative isolates were highly sensitive to piperacillin/tazobactam (100.0%), followed by imipenem (98.1%), then ciprofloxacin (93.1%). norfloxacin showed 72.6% sensitivity, while gentamicin and nalidixic acid showed sensitivity of 68.5% and 56.2% respectively. Majority of the isolates were resistant to ampicillin and co-trimoxazole.

Conclusion: E. coli was the most prevalent among the uropathogens investigated. The high resistance encountered with co-trimoxazole and ampicillin underscores the need for continuous monitoring of antibiotic susceptibility result before the commencement of treatment. This can be complimented with antibiotic stewardship if possible in these hospitals.