Urinary tract infections in newborn children: microbial landscape and antibiotic resistance problems

Urinary tract infection is one of the most common bacterial infections in children, which in 30% of cases may be the first manifestation of the presence of congenital malformations of the urinary tract and urodynamic disorders in a child. Late diagnosis, initiation of therapy, and the choice of an inadequate antimicrobial drug increase the risks of disease progression, development of nephrosclerosis and patient disability. Purpose – to study the microbial landscape in urinary tract infections, its antibiotic resistance in newborns with anomalies in the development of the urinary system. Materials and methods. The results of microbiological examination of urine in newborns with urinary tract infections against the background of anomalies in the development of the urinary tract, which are being treated in intensive care units and neonatal pathology in the period 2016–2020, have been analyzed. Results. The main causative agents of urinary tract infections in newborns with anomalies of the urinary system are Enterobacterales (63.4%), 13.8% are producers of extended spectrum beta-lactamases. Cefoperazone/sulbactam, amikacin, meropenem and nitrofurantoin were most active against Escherichia coli. In relation to other representatives of the order Enterobacterales, only amikacin was highly active. The strains of Enterococcus spp., Detected in 20%, were resistant to reserve vancomycin in every fourth case. Representatives of non-fermenting gram-negative bacteria were found in 6.4% of cases, resistance to the main titrated antibiotics ranged from 44.4% to 100%. Conclusions. The main causative agents of urinary tract infections in newborns with anomalies of the urinary system are representatives of the order Enterobacterales, Enterococcus spp. and non-fermenting gram-negative bacteria, which were characterized by high resistance, including to reserve antibiotics. The high indices of resistance of the isolated microflora make it difficult to choose an effective antibacterial therapy in this category of patients and in most cases requires combined antibiotic therapy. The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local ethics committee of all participating institution. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies. No conflict of interest was declared by the authors. Key words: Urinary tract infection, newborn babies, urinary tract abnormalities, antibiotic resistance.