Publication:

Prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria in antenatal women attending a tertiary care hospital

Background Asymptomatic bacteriuria is the presence of actively multiplying bacteria within the urinary tract in the absence of any symptoms. Antenatal women are more susceptible to urinary tract infection because of the anatomical and physiological changes which occur during pregnancy. Aim of current study was the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnant women, the organisms responsible and to treat the same.

Methods A total of 174 antenatal women of ≤28 weeks of gestation who had no clinical features of urinary tract infection were recruited for this study over a period of 6 months. Midstream urine sample was collected and sent for routine examination and culture-sensitivity testing.

Results Significant bacteriuria was detected in 22 (12.6%) antenatal women. Of them 13 (59.1%) belonged to the age group 26-30 years. Nearly half of the culture positive cases, that is 10 (45.5%) were educated upto primary school and they belonged to socioeconomic status class 4. Majorities (68%) were in the second trimester of pregnancy and the commonest organism isolated was E. coli.

Conclusions Undetected and untreated asymptomatic bacteriuria leads to chronic drug resistant infection, hypertension, anemia, etc. in the mother and prematurity, intrauterine growth restriction etc. in the fetus. Hence it is important to do urine culture for all women during antenatal check-up.