Prevalence and Causative Organisms of Asymptomatic Bacteriuria among Pregnant Women in Karachi, Pakistan

Introduction: During pregnancy, urinary tract experiences various anatomical as well as physiological changes which lead to the development of urinary tract infections. Of these, asymptomatic bacteriuria is prevalent during pregnancy and the adverse outcomes could include intrauterine growth retardation, pyelonephritis, preterm delivery, low birth weight, hypertension, and anaemia. Hence, screening for asymptomatic bacteriuria should be included in antenatal care.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria and the frequency of different organisms causing asymptomatic bacteriuria among pregnant women attending the outpatient department at Dow University Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the obstetric outpatient department (OPD) of Dow University Hospital, Karachi for six months. A total of 161 pregnant women with no clinical symptoms of urinary tract infection were included in this study. The method of urine sample collection was explained to all the enrolled participants. After collection, samples were labeled and processed. The result of the urine cultures was available after three days and was entered in the Performa. Participants with positive culture reports were treated according to the antibiotic sensitivity.

Results: The prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria among pregnant women was found in 17% (SD=0.61) with maximum prevalence in the age group of ≤25 years among primigravidae. The common organisms responsible for urinary tract infection in asymptomatic pregnant women were Escherichia coli (39.3%), Klebsiella pneumonia (17.9%), Staphylococcus spp. (17.9%) and Enterococcus spp. (14.3%).