Incidence and pattern of antimicrobial resistance of main bacterial isolates from patients with communityacquired urinary tract infections in North of Iraq

INTRODUCTION: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections, with Escherichia coli as the leading cause. Increasing antimicrobial resistance has reduced the effectiveness of standard empirical treatments, making continuous monitoring essential. This study evaluated the bacterial causes of community-acquired UTIs and their resistance patterns to commonlyused antibiotics. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2023 to July 2025 on patients presenting with symptoms of community-acquired UTI. Demographic and clinical data were collected with a structured form, and urine samples were subjected to culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Patients with recent hospitalization, urinary procedures, catheterization, anatomical abnormalities, or pregnancy were excluded. Data were analyzed using SPSS v22, applying descriptive and comparative statistics with significance set at p