Asymptomatic Bacteriuria in Pregnancy: Prevalence, Antibiotic Susceptibility, and Related Demographic Factors

Urinary tract infection is the most common bacterial infection that requires treatment in pregnancy (1). The risk of infection increases as a result of physiological and anatomical changes such as ureter dilatation during pregnancy, decrease in urethral peristaltism and bladder tonus, increase in plasma volume, decrease in urine concentration, and increase in urine estrogen and progestin (2). Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) is defined as the presence of at least 105 organisms / mL in the urine culture taken from medium-flow urine in a patient without any local or systemic symptoms of the urinary tract (3). It is seen in 2-15% of pregnant women and the most important etiological agent is the coliform bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) as in nonpregnants (4).