Risk Factors for Asymptomatic Bacteriuria in Pregnant Women
Abstract
Background : Routine urine culture for all pregnant women is recommended as the screening test for asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU). The is not readily available in many parts of the world including Thailand. Identification of the pregnant women at higher risk for ABU and performing urine culture to detect ABU may be the appropriate alternative management.
Objective : To asses risk factors for asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) in pregnant women.
Design: A cross-sectional study.
Setting : A tertiary care (university) hospital in Thailand.
Subjects : 774 pregnant women who attended their first antenatal care at Srinagarind hospital, Khon Kaen University were recruited for the study, Clean-catched mid stream urine were obtained from every subject for culture.
Main outcome measures : Information regarding sociodemographic characteristics, obstetric history, history of previous urinary tract infection, the status of the present pregnancy and the result of urine culture were recorded. Risk factors for ABU were initially evaluated by univariate analysis. We used multiple logistic regression analysis for controlling confounding effect.
Results : The prevalence of ABU in pregnant women was 11.2%. After univariate and multiple logistic regression analysis, anemia and low education were found to be significant risk factors for ABU in pregnant women. Anemic pregnant women had a 2.5 fold risk of having ABU compared with the non-anemic pregnant women. Low educated pregnant women had a 1.7 fold risk of ABU compared with educated subjects. Age, occupation, monthly income, gravidity, gestational age, previous history of urinary tract infection were not statistically associated with ABU.
Conclustions : Selective urine culture for anemic or low educated pregnant women may be considered in situation in which routine urine culture for pregnant women is not feasible. A sensitive but inexpensive routine screening test is required to detect ABU in pregnant women.
