Screening and analysis of asymptomatic bacteriuria during pregnancy

Aim: Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) is a common condition in pregnancy. The aim of our study is to estimate the rate of ASB, causative organisms, and antibiotic sensitivity in a secondary care hospital. Materials and methods: Midstream clean catch urinary sample was collected from 149 women between 12 and 28 weeks of gestation. Those with urinary symptoms, diagnosed for urinary tract infection (UTI), with vaginal bleeding or vaginal discharge, and who had given antibiotics within 7 days preceding sample collection were excluded. Data were collected from medical records, and statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19. Results: Asymptomatic bacteriuria was seen in 26% (n = 39) of the women. No association of age, parity, gestational age, body mass index (BMI), and diabetes was found with ASB. The most common pathogen isolated was Escherichia coli (46%) followed by Streptococcus (17.9%) and Staphylococcus aureus (10.3%). Fosfomycin with 94.4% sensitivity and nitrofurantoin with 89% sensitivity were seen as first-and second-line antibiotics for treatment of E. coli. Overall sensitivity of all isolates was 69.20% for fosfomycin, 66.6% for ceftriaxone, and 61% for augmentin. The three most common antibiotics (i.e., penicillin, pipemidic acid, and ampicillin) used in pregnancy showed highest overall resistance for all isolates. Conclusion: Incidence of ASB was significantly high. The most common bacteria isolated was E. coli. Clinical significance: Due to large variance in prevalence worldwide, incidences should be studied in local population and antibiotics should be prescribed according to culture and sensitivity to address the issue of multidrug resistance.