Retrospective Analysis of Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli With Focus on Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase at a Tertiary Central Hospital in Saudi Arabia

Khalid M Alameer; Bandar M Abuageelah; Rena H Alharbi; Mona H Alfaifi; Eman Hurissi; Moayad Haddad; Nabil Dhayhi; Abdulelah S Jafar; Mousa Mobarki; Hassan Awashi; Shaqraa Musawi; Abdulaziz M Alameer; Shatha H Kariri; Abdulaziz H Alhazmi

doi:10.1002/hsr2.70378

Retrospective Analysis of Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli With Focus on Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase at a Tertiary Central Hospital in Saudi Arabia

Health Sci Rep. 2025 Jan 23;8(1):e70378. doi: 10.1002/hsr2.70378. eCollection 2025 Jan.

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Medicine Jazan University Jazan Saudi Arabia.
² General Medicine Practice Program Batterjee Medical College Abha Saudi Arabia.
³ Ophthalmology Division, Department of Surgery Prince Mohammed Bin Naser Hospital Jazan Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases King Fahad Central Hospital Jazan Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Jazan Regional Laboratory, Ministry of Health Jazan Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Faculty of Medical Applied Science Jazan University Jazan Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Background and aims: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a prevalent bacterial infection that has substantial implications for healthcare on a global scale. Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a gram-negative rod responsible for most UTI cases. ESBL-producing E. coli is widely recognized as a significant contributor to antibiotic resistance. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence and antibiotic resistance trends of ESBL-producing E. coli in patients with UTIs at a tertiary hospital in Jazan, Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 347 urine specimens collected between January 2022 and March 2023.

Results: The study found that 31% of E. coli specimens were positive for ESBL. Among patients with ESBL-producing E. coli, 78.9% were females, and the majority of ESBL-producing E. coli cases were observed in the outpatient clinic departments. Among all E. coli isolates, ampicillin exhibited the highest resistance rate at 69.3%, aztreonam at 66.7%, and colistin at the lowest resistance. ESBL-producing E. coli strains exhibited higher resistance rates than non-ESBL-producing E. coli strains.

Conclusion: The study agrees with others in the region and shows a higher prevalence of ESBL-producing E. coli in the region, emphasizing the importance of antibiotic stewardship programs and infection control measures to mitigate the prevalence and spread of ESBL-producing E. coli in our region.

Keywords: Jazan; Saudi Arabia; antibiotic resistance; extended‐spectrum β‐lactamases (ESBLs); urinary tract infections (UTIs); uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC).