Prevalence and Risk Factors of Urinary Tract Infections among Pregnant Women in Hospitals of Rawalpindi and Islamabad

Abstract

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common occurrence during pregnancy and can have negative effects on both the mother and the fetus. It is estimated that UTIs occur in almost 20% of all pregnancies. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of UTIs among pregnant women and identify the risk factors in hospitals located in Islamabad-Rawalpindi. This cross-sectional study was conducted in four different hospitals in the region. A total of 155 pregnant women were randomly selected to participate in the study. Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS 24) and MS Excel were used for data input and analysis. The average age of the pregnant women was 27.56 ±5.6, ranging from 17 to 50 years old. The prevalence of urinary tract infection was found to be 47% (73 out of 155). The majority of the women, 63 (40.65%), were in their second trimester. 68 (43.87%) of the pregnant women were experiencing their second pregnancy, and 42.58% had a previous history of urinary tract infections. Among the 73 positive UTI samples, the most commonly isolated pathogen was E. Coli, accounting for 46.58% of the cases. The analysis also indicated a significant association between the first and second trimesters and the presence of UTIs, with a P-value of <.001. In conclusion, this study found that risk factors such as prior UTI history and being in the first or second trimester are associated with pregnancy-related UTIs. These findings highlight the importance of screening all pregnant women for UTIs and raising awareness about the negative impact of UTIs on both mothers and fetuses during pregnancy.