European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) is common during pregnancy and must be identified and treated to prevent poor maternal and obstetric outcomes. This study aims to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria among pregnant women in our antenatal clinic. The study also looks at any associated factors predisposing to the development of ASB, to identify the causative pathogens and their antibiotic susceptibility profile. Methods: It is a hospital based observational study involving 100 pregnant women with no symptoms of UTI at various gestational age. ASB was identified by urine culture and sensitivity studies. Results: 15% of the participants were found to have ASB. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of ASB based on age groups, number of pregnancies, gestational age or presence of anemia. Gram negative organisms were the cause of ASB in two thirds of cases. Escherichia coli is the most common isolate followed by Staphylococci. Gentamycin, cefotaxime and nitrofurantoin were the most efficacious of the antibiotics studied. Conclusion: ASB is quite prevalent in the pregnant population. E.coli continues to be the leading cause of ASB over the decades but Gram positive organisms are increasingly being recognized as pathogens responsible for ASB during pregnancy. Antibiotic susceptibility pattern differ widely among different study populations and antibiotic stewardship is a must for appropriate treatment and to prevent resistance development.