Increasing ciprofloxacin resistance among prevalent urinary tract bacterial isolates in the Gaza Strip

ZE Astal
Correspondence: Dr Zakaria El Astal, zalastal@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT
Introduction This study aims to assess common organisms causing urinary tract infection (UTI) in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian Authority and to examine the incidence of ciprofloxacin resistance in the strains of bacteria isolated from patients suspected with UTI over a six-month period.
Methods Ciprofloxacin was evaluated along with other commonly-used antibiotics against a total of 480 clinical isolates obtained from urine samples. The samples were collected from community patients from different parts of the Gaza Strip. Susceptibility tests were done by the Kerby Bauer method.
Results Among the tested drugs, the percent resistance rate to ciprofloxacin was 15.0 percent. However, high resistance to ciprofloxacin was detected among Acinetobacter haemolyticus (28.6 percent), Staphylococcus saprophyticus (25.0 percent), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (20.0 percent), Klebsiella pneumonia (17.6 percent) and Escherichia coli (12.0 percent). Minimal inhibitory concentration of ciprofloxacin was measured for all resistant UTI isolates.
Conclusion This study indicates emerging ciprofloxacin resistance among most UTI bacterial pathogens. Increasing resistance against ciprofloxacin demands coordinated monitoring of its activity and rational use of the antibiotics.

Keywords: antibiotic resistance, ciprofloxacin, urinary tract infection
Singapore Med J 2005; 46(9): 457-460