Bacterial Urinary Tract Infection among Pregnant Women

A master’s thesis at the College of Science, University of Basrah, entitled “Physiological Changes Associated with Bacterial Urinary Tract Infection among Pregnant Women and Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns of the Causative Isolates”, by researcher Habayeb Sattar Abduljabbar, investigated the prevalence and bacterial causes of urinary tract infections, antimicrobial susceptibility and resistance patterns, and selected inflammatory and physiological parameters among pregnant women. The study found a culture-confirmed UTI prevalence of 25%, with Escherichia coli as the most frequent isolate. ESR and diastolic blood pressure were significantly higher among infected women. The study recommended strengthening urine culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing and promoting rational antibiotic use.