Hospital Practices and Research

Abstract Background: Urinary tract infections are among the most prevalent human infections, primarily caused by Enterobacteriaceae. Currently, a significant number of Enterobacteriaceae produce extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs), rendering them resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics and resulting in treatment failures.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of blaSHV and blaTEM genes in Enterobacter isolates from clinical samples at Amir al-Momenin Hospital in Maragheh city in 2023, as well as to assess their antibiotic and probiotic resistance patterns.
Methods: One hundred urine samples from patients with urinary tract infections hospitalized at Amir Al-Momenin Hospital were included in the study. ESBL-producing bacteria were identified using the agar disk diffusion method according to CLSI criteria, employing 30 µg ceftazidime and cefotaxime antibiotic disks, both with and without clavulanic acid. PCR was utilized to amplify the genes for examining the frequency of blaTEM and blaSHV genes. Electrophoresis of the samples was conducted on a 1% agarose gel.
Results: Of the 21 samples, the ESBL index was negative in 7 samples, resulting in a frequency of 33.33%, while it was positive in 14 samples, with a frequency of 66.67%. The frequency of the blaTEM gene in positive bacterial samples was 95.23%, and the frequency of the blaSHV gene was 92.52%.
Conclusion: The disk diffusion test on antibiotic-sensitive samples found that the highest average growth inhibition zone was associated with the CTC antibiotic, while the lowest average growth inhibition zone was related to the NA antibiotic.