Prevalence of Asymtomatic Bacteriuria among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal in Port Harcourt Township, Nigeria and Antibiogram of Isolated Bacteria

¹Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Nkpolu  Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

⁺Corresponding Author

Amala, Smart E.

Department of Medical Laboratory Science

Rivers State University of Science and Technology

Nkpolu  Oroworukwo

Port Harcourt, Nigeria

E-mail:  smart.amala@yahoo.com

Abstract

The prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria among 330 pregnant women attending antenatal at two hospitals in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, was investigated by urine culture. One hundred (100) non-pregnant women were screened as control. The percentage prevalence of bacteriuria among the pregnant women was 13.6%, while the percentage prevalence among non-pregnant women was 11.1%. The prevalence  among pregnant women attending antenatal hospital 1, CHC was 13.8%, whereas those attending hospital 2, BMSH was 13.5%. The prevalence of bacteriuria by trimesters were: 1^st trimester 17.9%, 2^nd trimester 12.5% and 3^rd trimester 14.5%. The prevalence of bacteriuria among the pregnant women by age groups were, 16-20yrs 13.5%, 21-25yrs 14.4%, 26-30yrs 14.1%, 31-35yrs 12.0% and 36-40yrs 8.0%. The percentage occurrences of isolated bacteria from urines of pregnant women were: Escherichia coli 28.9%, Staphylococci 20.0%, Streptococci 15.6%, Proteus spp. 8.9%, Klebsiella spp. 8.9%, Enterobacter 6.7%, Enterococcus 8.9% and Pseudomonas aeruginosa 2.2%. The percentage occurrences of isolated bacteria from the urines non-pregnant women (control) were: Escherichia coli 27.2%, Staphylococci spp. 18.1%, Streptococci 9.1%, Proteus spp. 18.1%, klebsiella 18.1% and Pseudomonas 9.1%. From the results obtained, Escherichia coli were the most prevalent bacterium isolated from the urines of pregnant and non-pregnant women. Statistical analysis at P < 0.05 did not show age as a predisposing factor to bacteriuria in pregnancy. Asymptomatic bacteriuria is common among antenatal patients, therefore all pregnant women should screened during their first visit by urine culture to detect and treat overt UTI to avoid complications that may ensue in both mother and fetus. Antibiotics susceptibility testing against isolates showed that, both Gram negative bacilli and Gram positive cocci isolated were resistant to the first line antibiotics.

Keywords: Prevalence, Asymptomatic, Bacteriuria, Pregnancy.

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