Occurrence of lower urinary tract symptoms during pregnancy and their significance

ABSTRACT

A study was carried out between September 1997 and August 1998 to determine the frequency of occurrence of lower urinary tract symptoms in pregnant women and to establish their significance in relation to infection through bacteriological examination. About 47 percent did complain of having single or multiple lower urinary symptoms. There were 41 percent nulliparous and 59 percent multiparous women and in 52 percent cases gestational age was > 31 weeks. The most commonly encountered problem was abnormal voiding patterns found in 84 percent of participants, followed by irritative manifestation 47 percent, urinary incontinence 37 percent and voiding difficulties 10 percent. Significant pyuria [> 6 pus cells per high power field] was found in 19 percent cases and bacterial growth was demonstrated in 8 percent of women. The cases with positive bacterial growth mostly had the problems of increased diurnal frequency and/or nocturia, dysuria and urgency. Prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy was found to be significantly higher among these cases as compared to the cases who had no bacteriological evidence of cystitis