Two-Year Review of Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Bacteriuria in Pregnant Women Attending Ante Natal Clinic in Jos Nigeria

Background: Urinary tract infections acquired during pregnancy can result in the development of symptomatic cystitis and up to 50% of women develop pyelonephritis. Asymptomatic bacteriuria is also associated with intrauterine growth retardation and delivery of low-birth-weight infants. Most published literature of Urinary tract infections in pregnancy come from developed countries and there is scanty information from developing countries. The objective of this study was to determine the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of bacteriuria in pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) Plateau state, Nigeria. Methods: A retrospective review of microscopy, culture and antibiotic susceptibility of urine specimens from pregnant women in JUTH between 1st June 2007 and 31st May 2009. Results: The total number of urine samples submitted during the period of study was 1340, out of which 1242 had pus cells of 10 and below per high power field. Prevalence of 12.4% significant bacteriuria was obtained from a total of 166 organisms isolated from culture. The most frequently isolated organism was Escherichia coli 36(38.6%) from which 89.1% was susceptible to nitrofurantoin while 100% was resistant to cotrimoxazole and erythromycin. The organism least isolated from culture was Pseudomonas species 3(1.8%) which was sensitive to ofloxacin and gentamycin but resistant to tetracycline, erythromycin, chloramphenicol and nitrofurantoin. Conclusion: The prevalence of bacteriuria amongst pregnant women attending ANC at JUTH is high but routine urine screening at the first antenatal visit with subsequent treatment will prevent the sequelae of bacteriuria.