Significance of fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli in urinary tract infections

Antibiotic-resistant urinary tract infections (UTIs) are on the rise. We investigated the recent emergence of representative resistant strains in patients diagnosed with UTIs at Kobe University Hospital between 2000 and 2006, focusing on resistant strains isolated from the urine of UTI patients, especially fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli (FQRE), multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDRP), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). We found 16 MDRP, 108 FQRE, and 251 MRSA UTI cases, reflecting a significant increase in the incidence of FQRE. Our data demonstrated that isolated ratios of FQRE rose as much as 26.3% in 2006 and that there were significantly more isolated cases in 2003 - 2006 than in 2000 - 2002. The data show a significant trend toward FQRE emergence. This trend should be considered when treating UTI.