Bacteriuria among adult non-pregnant women attending Mulago hospital assessment centre in Uganda.

BACKGROUND Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women are a common problem in primary health care settings. Resistance of bacterial uropathogens to commonly used antibiotics is common in many places. OBJECTIVES To determine the prevalence of UTI, associated uropathogens and their antimicrobial susceptibility. METHODS A cross section study carried out at Mulago hospital outpatients' department. Midstream urine samples (MSU) were collected from 399 women, who gave informed consent and fulfilled other study criteria. Quantitative culture method, identification of uropathogens and antibiotic susceptibility testing using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique were applied to the isolates. RESULTS Out of 399 MSU samples, 40 pure significant bacterial growths (≥10(5) colony forming units (cfu)/ml of urine) were isolated and these included Escherichia coli, 23 (57.5%), Staphylococcus aureus, 9 (22.5%), Enterococci spp, 6 (15%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae, 2 (5.0%). Overall, sensitivities were: nitrofurantoin (98.3%), cefuroxime (89.3%), and cotrimoxazole (20%) by all uropathogens isolated. CONCLUSIONS Culture positive UTI among adult non-pregnant women are a common problem, occurring in 10% of the study population. Most bacterial uropathogens showed high sensitivity to nitrofurantoin but low sensitivity to SXT. RECOMMENDATIONS Nitrofurantoin should be considered as drug of choice for empirical treatment of community acquired uncomplicated UTI in adult non-pregnant women.