Authors
Arun Haria, Anoop Sinhab
aDepartment of General Medicine, Rajah Muthiah Medical College, Annamalai University, India;
bDepartment of Microbiology, Sree Narayana Institute of Medical Science, Kerala, India
Abstract
Background: Diabetic patients are prone to urinary tract infections (UTI), including asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU), which can lead to symptomatic UTI and severe complications. Early detection is important given the increased risk of complications in diabetics.
Objectives: This study estimated the prevalence of ABU in diabetic patients at a tertiary care center and identified risk factors.
Methods: A descriptive study involved 100 diabetic patients (50 males, 50 females) from a diabetic clinic (Aug 2012-Apr 2013). Exclusion criteria included urogenital symptoms, prior instrumentation, or abnormalities. Mid-stream urine samples were cultured. ABU was defined as significant bacterial growth (>105 CFU/mL) from consecutive samples in females or a single sample in males.
Results: Overall ABU prevalence was 42%. ABU was significantly higher in female diabetics (54%) than male diabetics (30%) (p = 0.026). The 51-60 age group showed the highest proportion of positive cases (30.95%).
Conclusion: A high prevalence of ABU (42%) was observed in diabetic patients. Female sex is a significant risk factor. Given the risk of progression to symptomatic UTI and complications, antibiotic therapy for ABU in diabetics may be beneficial.