Comparison of Antibiotic Resistance Paiterns of Uropathogenic

A retrospective study of antibiotic susceptibility was conducted on data from all uropathogenic Escherichia coli submitted to the MeritCare Clinic-Bemidji, MN and the North Country Regional Hospital-Bemidji, MN during 1990, 1993, and 1996. The proportion of antibiotic resistant strains was generally equal or higher in E. coli isolates from community-acquired infections than with E. coli isolates from nosocomial infections. Comparison with antibiotic prescriptions during 1990, 1993, and 1996 provided no clear relation between antibiotics prescribed for outpatient urinary tract infections and the proportion of E. coli strains resistant to those antibiotics. This suggests that factors other than selection for resistance to antibiotics prescribed for urinary tract infections influences the spectrum of antibiotic resistance in uropathogenic E. coli.