HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT Escherichia coli INFECTION AMONG CHILDREN PRESENTLY IN TERTIARY HOSPITAL IN BENIN CITY.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant public health threat, enabling bacterial strains to withstand common antimicrobial therapies. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and antibiotic resistance patterns of hospital-acquired Escherichia coli infections among children admitted to a tertiary hospital in Benin City, Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional study conducted from August to October 2025. A total of 80 swab samples were processed using standard culture-based methods. Bacterial isolates were identified via cultural characteristics, Gram staining, and standard biochemical tests (Catalase, Oxidase, Citrate, Indole, VogesProskauer, Hydrogen Sulphide, Methyl red, Urease and Sugar Fermentation). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. The antibiotics tested included ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and meropenem. The Patient demographics showed a clear difference, with the highest number recorded among male in-hospital patients (44) and the lowest among female community patients (4). Organism distribution varied by sample site, where Escherichia coli was the dominant isolate in rectal samples (17 isolates). Testing against a panel of 19 antibiotics revealed that most E. coli isolates remained susceptible. The highest resistance was observed against sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (7 isolates). Multidrug resistance patterns were diverse, with the combination of ciprofloxacin, piperacillin, and sulfamethoxazole (CIP, PIP, SUL) being the most frequently observed MDR profile (in 2 isolates). These findings align with previous reports from Nigerian hospitals, emphasizing the need for improved antimicrobial stewardship, routine resistance monitoring, and strict infection prevention measures to reduce hospital-acquired infections and ensure effective patient care.