ABSTRACT
Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI), an infection that disproportionately affects women, is commonly caused by bacteria. Emergence of multi-drug resistant urinary tract infections is a serious health issue with significant maternal morbidity and mortality. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of multi-drug resistant bacteria and associated factors among reproductive age women with significant bacteriuria. Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted from April to August 2016 on 424 study subjects in Jimma University Specialized Hospital. Data were collected using pretested questionnaire. Morning midstream urine samples were collected and processed following standard operating procedures. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done following Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute 2014 guidelines. Samples were tested for cell surface hydrophobicity, biofilm production, extended spectrum betalactamases and carbapenemases production. Results: The prevalence of UTI among suspected reproductive age women was 22.9%. E. coli was the most frequent isolate with a rate of 57% among isolated bacteria followed by Klebsiella species (24.7%). Over 90% of the isolates were multi-drug resistant. Resistance pattern for ampicillin was 100% followed by ticarcillin (92.4%) and colistin (86%) while less resistance rate was found for imipenem(13%). Multivariate analysis revealed that risk factors such as previous history of hospitalization, extended spectrum betalactamase production and strong biofilm production were significantly associated with multidrug resistance (p <0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of multi-drug resistance (MDR) among isolates of UTI in the study was high and this correlates with the prevalence of virulence phenotypes. Gram-negative organisms were the most common causes of UTIs