Antibiotic sensitivities of urinary pathogens, 1971-82

All urinary pathogens from general practice and from hospital have been tested for sensitivity to a range of antimicrobial drugs for the last 12 years. During that period there have been marked changes. In general practice there has been a marked increase in the proportion of staphylococcal infections, from 5.1% to 14.8%, and a noticeable decrease in the proportion caused by Proteus mirabilis, from 9.2% to 4.1%. Similar, but smaller, changes have been seen in the proportions of hospital UTI caused by those organisms, while the proportion of hospital infections due to Klebsiella-Enterobacter spp. has fallen from 16.8% to 8.3%. These, and other, changes have been reflected in changing antibiotic sensitivity patterns. In particular, sensitivity of urinary pathogens to ampicillin/amoxycillin and to cephaloridine has continued to fall both in general practice and in hospital. In general practice UTI nalidixic acid-resistance is becoming more important as the proportion of Gram-positive urinary pathogens increases. There has been little change in sensitivity to trimethoprim or co-trimoxazole over the last 12 years.