Hyderabad: Doctors in Hyderabad are reporting a rise in antibiotic-resistant urinary tract infections (UTIs).
According to a report published in The Times of India, 3-4 cases are being reported every week in government and private hospitals. Earlier, there were about one case a month.
In several cases, despite receiving treatment, patients continue to test positive for the same resistant bacteria.
Resistant UTI leads to kidney removal
TOI quoted Dr Mohd Taif, senior urologist at AINU, Banjara Hills, as saying that in one case of antibiotic-resistant UTI, the kidney of a 40-year-old Hyderabad woman was removed after treatment failed to improve the infection.
According to doctors, the rise in resistant infections is due to the misuse of antibiotics, which includes taking medicines without medical advice.
Due to repeated and improper antibiotic use, bacteria become resistant to medicines. This reduces the treatment options available to doctors.
Urine tests can help identify the right treatment
Dr Mohammad Jahangir, assistant professor of urology at Osmania Medical College, said that burning or frequent urination does not always mean a person has a bacterial infection.
Urine tests and culture examinations can help confirm an infection. They also help identify the bacteria responsible for the infection and the right antibiotics that must be prescribed.
However, some patients take strong antibiotics without consulting a doctor or switch medicines without checking their culture reports, he said.
Hyderabad doctors warn of antibiotic-resistant UTI cases
As doctors are frequently seeing cases of antibiotic-resistant infections, Dr Bhanu Prasad, consultant urologist at Apollo Hospitals, said that multidrug-resistant E. coli and Klebsiella infections are becoming a serious concern.
A severe infection can damage the kidneys and spread into the bloodstream. It may result in sepsis.
In view of the seriousness of antibiotic-resistant UTIs, experts have urged people not to take antibiotics on their own or switch to stronger medicines when symptoms persist.
