Urinary tract infections in symptomatic pregnant women attending university of Abuja teaching hospital, Gwagwalada, Nigeria.

Abstract

Background: Several notable human pathogens cause urinary tract infections. Several factors are known to predispose an individual to developing urinary tract infections; one of the factors is pregnancy. Therefore, this research set out to determine the bacteriologic profile of urinary tract
infection and the susceptibility pattern among symptomatic pregnant women in Abuja.
Methodology: This was a descriptive crosssectional study. One hundred and eighty consecutive symptomatic pregnant women who attend antenatal clinic and those with symptoms such as loin pain, fever, dysuria, urgency and urinary frequency were recruited and were well informed to collect clean catch midstream urine aseptically.
Results: Urine samples of 180 symptomatic pregnant women were examined for bacteria pathogens, of this 78 pregnant subject had significant bacteria and positive culture with a positive culture rate of 43.3%. The overall prevalence of UTI in Gwagwalada was 2.6%. The mean age of symptomatic pregnant women was 29.2±3.2. The mean gestational age and mean parity age was the total study population was 26.6±4.1 and 2.7±1.4 years respectively. Predominant symptoms were fever and urinary frequency with 23.8% and 22.2% respectively. Gram negative bacteria (coliforms) were wholly responsible for fever while Gram positive bacteria were agents for urinary frequency. Overall E. coli and Staphylococcus saprophyticus were the predominant bacteria isolated (23.0% and 15.4%). Augumentin and levofloxacin had the best antibiogram profile against most of the isolates.
Conclusion: The outcome of this study clearly shows E. coli as the leading cause of symptomatic UTIs and augumentin as the most sensitive antibiotics.