Studying Causes of Bacteria Urinary Tract Infections in Pregnant Women and their Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns in Ramadi City – West Iraq

الملخص

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common complications during pregnancy, posing risks to both maternal and fetal health. The present cross-sectional study aimed to isolate and identify bacterial causes of UTI in pregnant women and investigating the antimicrobial susceptibility of eight commonly used antibiotics against them. The study was conducted on 50 pregnant women who gave positive growth. All pregnant women were  admitted to the Maternity and Child teaching hospital in Ramadi for treatment of sever UTI. Mid-stream urine samples were collected, and cultured on suitable culture media. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using standard procedures. Data were collected and analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. The study revealed a UTI prevalence of 40.32% among the enrolled pregnant women. E. coli was the most frequently isolated bacteria (46.8%), followed by K. pneumoniae (38%). The majority of bacterial isolates demonstrated high resistance to commonly prescribed antibiotics such as Amoxicillin + clavulanic acid (90%), amikacin  (80%), and Ceftazidime (44%).Ceftazidim and Meropenem exhibited high sensitivity among the isolates. No statistically significant variables were associated with UTI in this study. The study highlights a notable prevalence of UTIs among pregnant women attending Ramadi Teaching Hospitals, with E. coli and K. pneumoniae being the predominant isolates. Significant resistance to commonly used antibiotics underscores the importance of judicious antibiotic prescribing practices. Screening for UTIs during antenatal care and consideration of antibiotics with minimal side effects in pregnant women are recommended strategies to mitigate UTI-associated complications.