Dr. Changil Choi

Objectives: Uncomplicated cystitis is a leading form of bacterial UTI; the most common causative bacterium worldwide is Escherichia coli. This internet-based, prospective, multicenter, and national observational study aimed to report the antimicrobial resistance of E. coli in patients with uncomplicated cystitis through the use of the Korean Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (KARMS) in 2023. Results: Data for a total of 654 patients were retrieved from the KARMS database. The mean (standard deviation) patient age was 55.9 (18.3) years. The numbers of postmenopausal women and patients with recurrent cystitis were 381 (59.4%) and 78 (11.9%), respectively. Regarding antimicrobial susceptibility, 96.8% were susceptible to fosfomycin, 98.9% to nitrofurantoin, 50.9% to ciprofloxacin, and 82.4% to cefotaxime. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase positivity was 14.4% (89/616), and was significantly higher in tertiary hospitals (24.6%, p < 0.001) and recurrent cystitis (27.6%, p < 0.001). Fluoroquinolone resistance was significantly higher in tertiary hospitals (57.8%, p < 0.001), postmenopausal women (54.2%, p < 0.001), and recurrent cystitis (70.3%, p < 0.001). In addition, postmenopausal status (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.44–3.17, odds ratio [OR] 2.13, p < 0.001), recurrent cystitis (95% CI: 1.40–4.66, OR 2.56, p = 0.002) and tertiary hospitals (95% CI: 1.00–2.93, OR 1.71, p = 0.049) were associated with significantly increased fluoroquinolone resistance. Methods: Any female patient diagnosed with clinical uncomplicated cystitis and microbiologically proven E. coli infection in 2023 was eligible for this study. Patient data were obtained from the web-based KARMS database. The antimicrobial susceptibility of E. coli was analyzed according to clinical factors, including hospital region, hospital type, menopause status, and recurrence status. Conclusions: The antimicrobial resistance of E. coli in patients with uncomplicated cystitis in the Republic of Korea has reached a serious level, especially in fluoroquinolone resistance. Therefore, major efforts should be made to reduce antimicrobial resistance.