Prevalance of pregnancy associated asymptomatic bacteriuria: a study done in a tertiary care hospital.

OBJECTIVES A prospective study was conducted in the Department of microbiology (IGMC) and the Department of obstetrics & gynecology (KNH), Shimla, and Himachal Pradesh over a period of 1 year from May 2005 to April 2006 on 463 asymptomatic pregnant females with a period of gestation (POG) 28 weeks or less. The aim was to find out the prevalence of pregnancy associated bacteriuria and bacterial causes responsible for this entity. METHODS The pregnant women were taught to collect the urine sample by aseptic technique which was then subjected to semi quantitative culture method. RESULTS Significant bacteriuria was present in 7.34% cases. About 78% samples were found to be sterile. Insignificant count and growth of contaminants was positive in 1 and 13% samples, respectively. The most common etiological agent came out to be E. coli followed by other gram positive and gram negative organisms. CONCLUSION Asymptomatic bacteriuria is a common occurrence which should be diagnosed and treated in early pregnancy keeping in view its adverse effects on pregnancy.