AbstractIntroduction: Urinary tract infections (UTI) are the most common infections in clinical practice. They can have serious complications on maternal and fetal outcome when they occur in pregnancy. Screening all pregnant women for significant bacteriuria can prevent the complications of UTI in pregnancy. Aims and Objectives: To studythe bacterial profile of urinary tract infections and the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns among pregnant women. Material and Methods: This was a prospective hospital basedstudy carried out in the Department of Microbiology, Deccan College of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, Telangana, over a one year period from April 2016 to March 2017. Results: A total of 235 urine samples were received from pregnant women and processed in Microbiology laboratory. 110 urine samples showed significant bacteriuria. The most commonly isolated bacteria were E. coli 80 (72.7%), K. pneumoniae 7 (6.3%), S. aureus 13 (11.8%), P. aeruginosa 5(4.5%), Coagulase negative staphylococci 5(4.5 %). Conclusion: This study showed that prevalence of UTI in pregnant women was 36.2%. It was also observed that E. coli (72.7%) was the most frequently isolated bacteria. All pregnant women should be screened for UTI with a urine culture and treated with antibiotics if the culture is positive.
Keywords: Urinary Tract Infection; Pregnancy; Urine Culture Antimicrobial Susceptibility.