MICROBIOLOGICAL PROFILE AND ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE TRENDS IN SURGICAL SITE INFECTIONS: RETROSPECTIVE MICROBIOLOGICAL STUDY

Abstract

Background UTIs are common clinical complications in women of childbearing age that impose a significant financial strain and quality of life on the healthcare system. Extent of association between pertinent family planning modalities and reduced vulnerability of the lower urinary tract will be a critical outpatient gynecology and preventative care consideration.

Objective This paper compared the relationship between specific contraceptive modalities and prevalence and incidence of culture-affirmed urinary tract infections among reproductive-aged women.

Methods In a retrospective observational analytical study, the use of archived electronic medical records of 345 eligible women with tertiary outpatient clinics within the Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area between January 2022 and December 2024 was used. The main exposure was the documented contraceptive technique, which could be classified as intrauterine devices, hormonal and barrier techniques and the main outcome was the presence and relapsing of urinary tract infection, which was confirmed by culture in the study. The Pearson chi-square tests and multivariate binary logistic regression models which included age, parity and body mass index and coital frequency and postcoital voiding hygiene were used to assess the data.

Results Of 345 records analyzed (mean age: 29.8 ± 6.2 years), 30.1% (n = 104) of the subjects had a confirmed urinary infection, and 11.0% (n = 38) had recurrent episodes. Topical infection rates were also quite different across the types of contraceptives used (p = 0.012), the highest prevalence of which was found in individuals who use intrauterine devices ( 38.3, n = 49), then barrier methods ( 30.1, n = 31) and hormonal contraceptives ( 21.1, n = 24). Most of the recurrence was highest in intrauterine device users (16.4, n = 21). The use of intrauterine device was found to be independently related to recurrent infection as opposed to the use of hormonal method (adjusted odds ratio = 3.24, 95% confidence interval: 1.25 -8.41, p = 0.016) whereas barrier methods showed no statistically significant association after adjustment (p = 0.215).
Conclusion Contraceptive choice was found to have a significant association with the frequency of urinary tract infections, and intrauterine device use had the best relationship with the frequency of recurrence. Incorporation of personalized urological evaluation in regular family planning counseling sessions can enable the maximization of contraception counseling and avert denizens of recurrence.