Cross-Sectional Study to Determine The Least Effective Antibiotics Used to Treat Various Bacterial Infections in Hospitals of Al-Najaf City, Iraq

Abstract

Background: In the current study, we aimed to identify the most commonly resisted antibiotics by bacterial species in culture media.

Methodology: A total of 150 samples were collected from various hospitals in Al-Najaf City, Iraq. These included a wide range of patients who attended these hospitals for treatment of different infectious diseases. The samples were categorized based on the type of sample, gender, and age group of the patients. The VITEK-2 system was primarily used to identify the bacterial isolates and perform antibiotic susceptibility testing to ensure the accuracy of the results. Results: The findings showed that urine samples were the most predominant (52%). The most frequently isolated bacterium in these samples was Escherichia coli (22%), which exhibited the highest resistance to the antibiotic amoxicillin (AMC). Additionally, when samples were grouped by the gender of the patients, the results indicated that antibiotic resistance was more common in males than in females.

Conclusion: This study concludes that many antibiotics, such as amoxicillin and ceftazidime, continue to be prescribed and dispensed in pharmacies despite having very low effectiveness. A wide range of bacterial species have developed resistance to these antibiotics.