Urinary tract infection (UTI) and preeclampsia are common among pregnant women and are associated with adverse maternal-fetal and neonatal outcomes. Despite this, limited information exists on the association between UTIs and preeclampsia in Tanzania to guide specific management and thereby averting the adverse outcomes. A 1:2 matched case-control study (by age and gravidity) involving 131 pregnant women with preeclampsia (cases) and 262 without preeclampsia (controls) was conducted. Sociodemographic and clinical information was collected using a questionnaire. Midstream urine samples were collected during admission for culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). Out of 393 pregnant women enrolled, 110 (28.0%), 95% CI: 23.8%-32.7%, had significant bacteriuria [cases: 50.4% (66/131) and control: 16.8% (44/262)]. Pregnant women with preeclampsia had 7.7 odds of having significant bacteriuria than those without preeclampsia [OR=7.7, 95% CI (4.11-14.49); p-value <0.001]. Escherichia coli, 50 (45.5%), and Klebsiella spp., 25 (23.6%), predominated, and resistance to gentamicin, ceftriaxone, and piperacillin-tazobactam ranged from 9.0% to 29.0% in these dominant species. Extended spectrum beta lactamases (ESBL) production in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. was 18.0% (9/50) and 15.4% (4/26), respectively. Routine urine culture and AST among pregnant women with preeclampsia should be introduced in the antenatal clinics to ensure prompt management. Delineation of maternal-fetal and neonatal outcomes among pregnant women with preeclampsia and UTIs would be of interest in future studies.
Urinary Tract Infections and Preeclampsia among Pregnant Women Attending Two Hospitals in Mwanza City, Tanzania: A 1:2 Matched Case-Control Study
