Antibiotic Sensitivity Patterns of Microbial Isolates from the Urine of Pregnant Women with Urinary Tract Infections

Abstract

Context: Urinary tract infections are the most common bacterial infections during pregnancy. Though the causative organisms have remained essentially the same over time, they have become increasingly resistant to the usual antibiotics. Objective: To determine the current microbial isolates and their pattern of antibiotic sensitivity in pregnant women with urinary tract infection. Patients and Methods:This was a descriptive study done in the Obstetric Unit of the Obafemi Awolowo Unversity Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. Midstream urine specimens of all pregnant women with features of urinary tract infection were collected and subjected to microscopy, culture and sensitivity before commencement of antibiotic therapy. Results: The incidence of urinary tract infection in pregnancy was 6.2%. The commonest organisms isolated were Escherichia coli (42.2%), Staphylococcus aureus (21.9%), Klebsiella spp (12.8%), unspecified coliform organisms (11.7%) and Streptococcus faecalis (4.2%). Nitrofurantoin (83.7%), gentamicin (61.2%) and pefloxacin (54.2%) were the only antibiotics to which at least 50% of the organisms isolated were sensitive. Conclusion: Gram-negative organisms remain the leading group of organisms infecting the urinary tract of pregnant women at Ile-Ife, Nigeria and they are generally sensitive to nitrofurantoin, gentamicin and pefloxacin. Key Words: Urinary Tract Infection, Pregnancy, Antibiotic Sensitivity [Trop J Obstet Gynaecol, 2003, 20: 113-115]