Bacteriological Profile of Urinary Tract Infections in Pregnant Women

Abstract

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTI), which are caused by the presence and growth of microorganisms in the urinary tract, are perhaps the single commonest bacterial infections of mankind and in pregnancy, it may involve the lower urinary tract or the bladder. Urinary tract infection in pregnancy is associated with significant morbidity for both mother and baby. Aims and Objectives: This study aimed to assess bacterial profile of urinary tract infection and their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at District hospital attached to Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences. Material and Methods: This retrospective study was carried out in the Dept. of Microbiology, MIMS, Mandya. The urinary pathogens and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns from January - December 2014(One year) was studied from the records of Microbiology laboratory. Descriptive statistics was used and results were expressed as percentages. Results: A total of 124 urine samples were received from pregnant women and processed in Microbiology laboratory from Jan to Dec 2014 .Among 124 samples, 45(36.2%) samples yielded significant bacterial growth. E.coli (19, 42.2 %) was isolated as predominant pathogen. 14 (73.7%) E. Coli and only 2(40%) Klebsiella were sensitive to nitrofurantoin which can be used in pregnancy. Only 2 (10.5%) E.coli were sensitive to Ampicillin with remaining 17(89.5%) being resistant. Conclusion: This study showed that prevalence of UTI in pregnant women was 36.2%. It was also observed that E. coli (42.2%) was the most frequently isolated bacteria. All pregnant women should be screened for UTI with a urine culture and treated with antibiotics if the culture is positive. Key words: E.coli, Pregnancy, Urinary tract infections, Uropathogens