Background Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) in pregnant women poses risks to maternal and neonatal health. Understanding its prevalence and associated risk factors is crucial for effective management. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of ASB among pregnant women and identify associated risk factors. Methodology A cross-sectional study involving 294 pregnant women was conducted. ASB prevalence was determined, and bivariate analysis was performed to identify associated risk factors. Logistic regression analysis was employed to assess the significance of identified risk factors. Results The overall prevalence of ASB was 17.34%. Bivariate analysis revealed associations between ASB and maternal age (p > 0.05), socioeconomic status (p < 0.001), previous urinary tract infection (UTI) history (p < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (p = 0.00204), and anemia (p = 0.522). Multivariate logistic regression confirmed significant associations of ASB with maternal age (p = 0.008), parity (p = 0.001), previous UTI (p < 0.001), and diabetes mellitus (p < 0.001). Conclusion This study underscores the importance of screening for ASB during prenatal care, particularly among pregnant women with advanced maternal age, higher parity, previous urinary tract infection (UTI) history, and diabetes mellitus. Tailored screening strategies and prompt treatment can mitigate the risks associated with untreated ASB, improving maternal and neonatal outcomes. Healthcare providers should integrate these findings into routine antenatal care protocols to optimize maternal and fetal health.

Background Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) poses a significant diagnostic dilemma for medical professionals. Current hospital screening protocol determines the likelihood of a positive diagnosis of a urinary tract infection (UTI) based on the results of a bedside urinalysis. ASB, defined as a positive urine culture in the absence of symptoms, can contribute to unnecessary cancellations, poor utilisation of theatre time, and delayed patient care. We present a two-cycle audit proposing a new pathway to addressing ASB in patients awaiting elective orthopaedic surgery, aiming to optimise surgical yield. Our objectives are to identify areas for improvement in our departmental practices with respect to asymptomatic bacteria compared to the published literature. We propose a new protocol targeted to improve our current practices to minimise patient cancellations and optimise theatre utilisation. Methodology A total of 78 patients who had an elective orthopaedic procedure cancelled at a large district general hospital offering tertiary orthopaedic services, between two study periods spanning March 2018 to April 2019 and May 2019 to March 2020, were identified from electronic hospital records and theatre management systems. Demographics, procedure details, and reasons for cancellations, including the result of urinalysis and the presence of UTI symptoms were assessed. Our pathway was introduced after the first study period and, subsequently, re-audited to assess adherence to the new protocol and its effect on cancellations. Results We identified 78 patients, with a 50:50 male:female split and an average age of 63 (range = 9-90). Of the 33 patients in the first cohort, seven (21.2%) were cancelled due to UTI risk based on positive urinalysis. Of these seven cancellations, one (14.3%) patient reported symptoms of a UTI. The second cohort comprised 45 patients, two (4.4%) of whom were cancelled due to UTI risk based on symptom questionnaire results. These two symptomatic patients along with another two asymptomatic patients (8.8% in total) were found to have positive urinalyses; however, the two asymptomatic patients had their operations cancelled for unrelated reasons. Conclusions The study has shown that previously of all patients awaiting elective orthopaedic operations who had their procedures cancelled, 85.7% were cancelled due to ASB. After the introduction of a new protocol focussing on symptoms rather than urinalysis, we estimate that the number of cancelled elective orthopaedic operations has reduced by 71.4%, thereby greatly improving the utilisation of theatre time.

Background There is conflicting literature pertaining to the risk factors of asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASBU) in diabetic women. ASBU is a well-established risk factor for frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs), and the risk factors that predispose diabetic women to ASBU should, therefore, be evaluated.  Objectives This study aims to discern these aforesaid risk factors in type-2 diabetic women, define a population subset at particularly high risk for ASBU, and gauge the efficacy inherent in adhering to an antibiotic regimen in combatting ASBU.  Methods An analytical, case-control study was conducted at the Diabetic Clinic of the Holy Family Hospital (HFH), Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The participants included were type-2 diabetic women reporting to the clinic for routine follow-up. Six hundred and sixty-seven urine samples from these type-2 diabetic women were evaluated. Positive cases were those in which patients were diagnosed with ASBU according to the guidelines, while those with no ASBU constituted the control group. Common risk factors for UTI were excluded in both groups. Age, socioeconomic status, hygiene practices, and contraceptive use were matched between cases and controls.  Results Nineteen percent of type-2 diabetic women presented with ASBU in our study. The significant risk factors for ASBU were a higher HbA1c level (OR 1.97), more years since the initial diagnosis of diabetes (OR 1.49), a prior UTI history (OR 2.49), excessive antibiotic use (OR 2.72), sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor use (OR 1.75), and proteinuria (OR 1.88) in the multivariate model. Body mass index (BMI), age of the patients, pyuria, and voiding dysfunction manifested no association with ASBU. Antibiotic use was significantly associated with the type of bacterial species precipitating the ASBU.  Conclusion The clinicians must keep in mind the association between the various patient parameters and ASBU, especially in prescribing antibiotics to diabetic women. More studies are needed to further elaborate on these risk factors and revise the patient management in at-risk cases for ASBU and UTIs.