Asymptomatic Bacteriuria and Symptomatic Urinary Tract Infections During Pregnancy

UTIs are common complications of pregnancy and may lead to significant morbidity for both mother and fetus. During pregnancy, ASB is the major risk factor for developing a symptomatic UTI. Screening and treatment of pregnant women for ASB may prevent morbidity associated with symptomatic UTIs. Bacteriuria should be treated with short-course therapy with appropriate antimicrobials. Women should be followed closely after treatment of bacteriuria because recurrence may occur in up to one third of patients. Key points in this article may be summarized as follows:•Urine culture is the gold standard for screening for bacteriuria in pregnancy.•All pregnant women should be screened for bacteriuria in the first trimester.•Women with a history of recurrent UTI or urinary tract anomalies should have repeat bacteriuria screening throughout pregnancy.•All bacteriuria should be treated during pregnancy.•Treatment should be effective, and nontoxic to the fetus.•Antimicrobial prophylaxis or close follow-up after treatment of ASB and symptomatic UTI is necessary throughout the remainder of pregnancy.