Philip Apraku Tawiah, Sylvester Franklin Duncan Adjato, Enos Oduro Amoako, Albert Abaka-Yawson and Hope Agbodzakey
Sickle cell disease (SCD) patients are vulnerable to asymptomatic urinary tractinfection (UTI), and this can lead to long lasting kidney problems.This cross-sectional study assessed the bacterial profile and examined the sensitivity patternsof the isolated bacteria among the SCD patients.Within the period of January 2014 to April 2014, Seventy-one (71) patients were consecutivelysampled from the sickle cell clinic of Volta Regional Hospital, Ho-Ghana. Mid-stream urine samples were collected for culture and sensitivity. Bacteria isolated were identified and tested for their antimicrobial sensitivity patterns using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Independent t-test, Pearson Chi-square test and ANOVA were used to determine mean, standard deviations, associations and differences in groups. P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.The study showed a bacteria profile of Escherichia coli, Staphylococus aureus andCitrobacter spp among the SCD participants. Antimicrobial sensitivity patterns depicted Escherichiacoli as sensitive to nitrofurantoin and gentamicin while Citrobacter spp. was sensitive toNitrofurantoin. Staphylococus aureus was sensitive to cotrimoxazole with all three isolates resistantto ampicillin. 8.5% of the participants had asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) and was more in females(66.7%) than in males (33.3%) and in SS genotype (83.3%) than in SC genotype (16.7%).The research found the prevalence of ASB among SCD patients to be most commonin females and SS genotypes. Escherichia coli was the predominant isolate and this isolate wassusceptible to nitrofurantoin but highly resistant to ampicillin. Urine culture and sensitivity should beincluded in the clinical assessments of SCD patients and education and awareness on theimportance of personal hygiene, particularly in sickle cell disease patients should also beencouraged.
Share this article