Estimation of Frequency of Urinary Tract Infection in Females Presenting in Emergency with Preterm Labor

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of urinary tract infection in women who are experiencing premature
labor.
Material & Methods: This was a Cross sectional study, was conducted in the Emergency Department of
Obstetrics & Gynecology, Shalamar Hospital Lahore. Duration of this study was from July 31, 2020 till Jan
30, 2021.Data collection procedure: About 248 cases, according to our inclusion criteria, were taken from
emergency department of gynaecology, Shalamar Hospital, Lahore. Basic gestational and demographic
information, contact details, was taken from all subjects. All booked cases were taken to control bias. The
midstream sample of urine was collected by the staff nurse in a sterilized container and was sent to the same
hospital Laboratory for urine analysis and urine culture. Urinary tract infection was labeled as per operational
definition. All females were treated to prolong the pregnancy till 37 completed weeks of gestation.
Results: The average age of females was 31.81 ± 7.52 years, ranging from 18 to 45 years. The average
gestational age was 30.01 ± 3.89 weeks, with the lowest and highest gestational ages recorded as 24 and 36
weeks, respectively. A total of 103 individuals, accounting for 41.5% of the population, were females who
had urinary tract infection.
Conclusion: It is concluded that the frequency of urinary tract infections in pregnant females presenting with
preterm labour was high i.e. 41.5%. Females must be questioned about lower urinary tract symptoms during
each antenatal visit so that they can be investigated and treated, accordingly, to reduce the risk of preterm
labour. This will reduce the complications arising due to undiagnosed and untreated urinary tract infection
which is associated with neonatal morbidity and mortality.
Keywords: Pregnancy, urinary tract infection, Preterm labour, low birth weight, neonatal mortality