ASYMPTOMATIC URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS IN HOMOZYGOUS SICKLE CELL PATIENTS IN TOGO

Christèle TCHOPBA NGUEPOU*, Gnatoulma KATAWA, Sika DOSSIM, Mounerou SALOU, Ahoefa A. VOVOR, Yaovi A. AMEYAPOH

ABSTRACT

Urinary tract infections can complicate the condition of sickle cell patients by kidney damage. This study was initiated to evaluate the prevalence of urinary tract infections bacteria carriage in sickle cell patients and to determine the antibiotics susceptibility profile of these bacteria. Homozygous sickle cell patients, "SS", in the steady state, followed at the “Centre Hospitalier Universitaire-Campus” (CHU-Campus) of Lomé, were recruited on the basis of precise criteria. For these patients, cytobacteriological examinations of urine (ECBU) were performed. In all, 129 sickle cell patients with "SS" phenotype aged between 3 and 52 years, mean age 18.33 ± 0.90 years were selected. The sex ratio M / F was 0.72. The prevalence of carriage of bacteria responsible for urinary tract infections was 9.30%, 12 subjects, 11 of which were female. Escherichia coli was the most isolated bacteria, accounting for 66.67% of the isolates. Furthermore 85.7% of E. coli strains were resistant to Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim, 75% to Nalidixic Acid, Ticarcillin and Ticarcillin-Clavulanic Acid, 14.3% to Piperacillin-Tazobactam and 12.5% to Ertapenem. All E. coli strains were sensitive to Amikacin and Meropenem. The results of this study will contribute to better management of infections in sickle cell patients by screening for urinary tract infections and routine antibiotic susceptibility testing.

Keywords: Sickle cell anemia, urinary tract infections, asymptomatic bacteriuria, antibiotic susceptibility, Lomé.