Urinary tract infection in diabetics.

Two hundred ambulant diabetic patients (152 females and 48 males) were screened for significant bacteriuria by bacterial colony count method. Significant bacteriuria was found in 13% (24 females and 2 males). E.coli was the predominant organism isolated in 17 out of 28 cases. A higher relative frequency of past history of renal disorders and hypertension was seen in the group with significant bacteriuria. The degree of pyuria was generally related to the frequency of bacteriuria but 3 patients with unremarkable sediment had evidence of significant infection. The antibiotic sensitivity pattern showed that more than 50% of the E. coli strains were resistant to some of the commonly used antibiotics (JPMA 30: 2, 1980).