Abstract :
Preterm labour is the onset of labour before 37 weeks and after 28 weeks of gestation as observed by regular uterine contractions leading to progressive cervical changes. UTI is one of the many etiological factors of preterm labour. In pregnant women UTIs are classified either as asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB), or symptomatic infections such as acute cystitis and acute pyelonephritis. The objective of this study is to study the prevalence of UTI in preterm labour in relation to selected variables of interest like age, parity, socio economic status, literacy and background.
525 cases of preterm labour were studied in a period of 18 months from December 2019 to June 2020 in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Trichy SRM Medical College Hospital. Clean catch midstream urine samples were collected from all cases. Two samples were collected and subjected to microscopic examination and culture and sensitivity.
158 cases were found to have UTI which was more prevalent among the illiterate and lower socio economic class population. It was found that UTI was more prevalent among multipara in the age group of 25 to 29 years. E-coli was the most common organism isolated (69%).
Majority of the cases were booked and from rural background. Around 1.3% of cases were complicated by pyelonephritis.
Keyword :
Preterm labour, Urinary tract infection.