Antibiotics Sensitivity and Resistance Patterns of Uropathogens to Nitrofurantoin and Nalidixic Acid in Pregnant Women with Urinary Tract Infections in Ibadan, Nigeria

6 Abstract: This study reports on antibiotic sensitivity and resistance patterns of uropathogens to nitrofurantoin and nalidixic acid in Ibadan, Nigeria. The susceptibility and resistance patterns of 38 bacterial pathogens were determined using standard procedures. Based on the standard zones of inhibition ranging from 17mm-37mm in diameter exhibited by the pathogens, most of the isolates were highly sensitive to Nitrofurantoin and Nalidixic acid with lethal effects. The antibiogram studies also showed that E. coli in most clinical samples was highly sensitive to Nitrofurantoin, which were found to be 100% effective in-vitro against the E. coli, followed by and Klebsiella sp. (85.7%) and S. aureus (72.7%) study while sensitivity to Nalidixic acid were higher for E. coli (75%), followed by and Klebsiella sp. (71.4%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (50%). The resistance pattern showed that S. aureus was highly resistance to Nalidixic acid (63.6%), followed by P. aeruginosa (50%), Klebisella sp. (28.6%) and E. coli (25%) while resistance pattern to Nitrofurantoin was higher for P. aeruginosa (50%), then followed by S. aureus (27.3%). The study showed a high sensitivity of most of the pathogens to the two antibiotics used. It also indicates that Nitrofurantoin and Nalidixic acid remains the effective drug of choice, judicious use of these drugs is essential to preserve their efficacies. It is therefore recommended that routine microbiological analysis and antibiotic sensitivity test of mid-stream urine samples of pregnant women and other patients be carried out before the administration of the drugs for the treatment of UTIs. In so doing, development of unusual resistance among such strains could easily be detected, and thus, helped in better treatment and management of those infected by these pathogens.