Prevalence and Antibiogram of Urinary Tract Infections Among Pregnant Women at Federal Medical Centre Owerri, South East Nigeria

Urinary tract infections during pregnancy are associated with significant maternal and foetal complications, including preterm labour, pyelonephritis, and low birth weight. This study determined the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of uropathogens isolated from pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic of Federal Medical Centre Owerri, Imo State, South East Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 pregnant women across all gestational ages. Clean-catch midstream urine samples were collected and processed using standard culture and sensitivity techniques. Bacterial growth of 100,000 colony-forming units per millilitre or more was considered significant bacteriuria. Isolates were identified using conventional biochemical tests and subjected to antimicrobial sensitivity testing by the Kirby-Bauer method. Significant bacteriuria was found in 28.5% of participants. Escherichia coli was the most common pathogen at 45.6%, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae at 24.6% and Staphylococcus saprophyticus at 15.8%. Nitrofurantoin and gentamicin demonstrated the highest sensitivity at 88.6% and 82.4% respectively. High resistance was recorded for ampicillin and co-trimoxazole. Asymptomatic bacteriuria accounted for 40.4% of positive cases, highlighting the clinical importance of routine screening. These findings reinforce the necessity of universal urine culture at booking visits and support localised antibiogram data to guide empirical therapy in South East Nigerian antenatal settings. Keywords: urinary tract infection, pregnancy, bacteriuria, antibiogram, Owerri