OLD IS GOLD A STUDY ON ANTIMICROBIAL SENSITIVITY PATTERN OF NITROFURANTOIN AMONG URO PATHOGENS

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is the third most common cause of hospital visits in our country. The emergence of drug resistance among uropathogens is constantly increasing. The antimicrobial agent, Nitrofurantoin was used extensively to treat the UTIs. The use of this drug has gradually declined in recent years, not because of treatment failure but because of lack of interest and the development of many newer drugs in treating UTIs. So the aim of the study is to determine the sensitivity profile of Nitrofurantoin among urinary isolates of UTI in indoor and outdoor patients at CMCH, Coimbatore, to find out the commonest isolates causing UTI and to assess the role of Nitrofurantoin in the treatment of UTI. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three hundred and twenty six clean catch mid stream urine samples received in diagnostic Microbiology laboratory, CMCH were taken and processed for this study over a period of three months (June 2011 August 2011). RESULTS The most common bacterial isolates were E.coli (52) followed by Coagulase negative staphylococci - Staphylococcus saprophyticus (25), the overall sensitivity profile of Nitrofurantoin among urinary isolates was 83.3. E.coli and CONS showed sensitivity to Nitrofurantoin of 98.5 and 100 respectively. CONCLUSION Nitrofurantoin showed highest in vitro sensitivity among most commonly isolated uropathogens. Being the cheapest drug with minimal side effects, showing good safety profile and highest sensitivity profile in almost all age groups including pregnant women and children with UTI, Nitrofurantoin can be prescribed for the empirical treatment of UTI in place of other drugs such as cotrimoxazole, ciprofloxacin and cephalexin