Bacterial isolates and drug susceptibility patterns of urinary tract infection among pregnant women

Seventy five (75) urine samples were collected and analyzed during the study period of June 2017 and December 2017. Seventeen (17) samples showed significant growth, which amounted to a prevalence of 22.6 %. Escherichia coli had the highest percentage of isolation with frequency rate 12 (70.59%).Maternal age was not found to be a significant risk factor in this study. In literature, only a significant increasing risk of 1- 2% is reported per decade of age which did not become evident in this study, probably due to small sample size, individuals of the age group 26 – 30 years had the highest incidence of infection (52.9%). While the age group 36- 40 years had the lowest incidence of infection (0%). According to prevalence of urinary tract infection in pregnant women in relation to gestational age, There was higher rate of infection in the third trimester (64.70%) compared to second trimester (23.53%) and first trimester (11.76%). Antimicrobial sensitivity testing of our study was done by using Kirby Bauer Disc Diffusion method. Twenty one antibiotics commonly used were tested against the isolated E. coli. Amikacin was found to be the most effective drug (100%). E.coli which is the predominant cause of UTI, showed high percentage of resistance to ampicillin (91%), but all were sensitive to Amikacin (100%). Klebsiella spp which is the second most prevalent pathogen of UTI displayed a similar resistance pattern as of E.coli and showed hundred percent resistant to Ampicillin