Urinary Tract Infections in Adult Diabetic Patients: Clinical Insights from a South Indian Tertiary Care Hospital

Objectives: To study the clinical profile of UTI, its recurrence, and effect of glycemic control on recurrence in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 patients with DM, with urine culture-positive results having symptomatic or asymptomatic bacteriuria. Patient details in terms of clinical profile, microbiological patterns, and treatment modalities were recorded and statistically analyzed. Results: The mean age of the patients was 63.4 ± 12.3 years, with 49% males. The mean duration of diabetes was 7.97 ± 7.02 years. Urine culture showed that 128 (64%) cases had E. coli, 40 (20%) cases had Klebsiella pneumoniae, 12 (6%) cases had Enterococcus faecalis, nine (4.50%) cases had Pseudomonas aeruginosa, three (1.50%) cases had Citrobacter koseri, two (1%) cases had Candida tropicalis, and one (0.50%) case each had Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter cloacae, Pantoea spp., Proteus mirabilis, Serratia marcescens, and Streptococcus. Recurrent UTI was observed in 12% of cases. HbA1c levels did not significantly affect UTI recurrence across different age groups and genders. Conclusion: E. coli was the most commonly isolated pathogen (64%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (20%). Recurrence of UTIs was seen in 12% cases, and it was not significantly associated HbA1c levels, indicating that glycemic control did not significantly affect the recurrence rate.