SCREENING AND TREATMENT OF ASYMPTOMATIC BACTERIURIA IN PREGNANCY PREVENT PYELONEPHRITIS

Although asymptomatic bacteriuria during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of developing pyelonephritis, the effectiveness of s creening programs to reduce this risk is controversial. A sharp reduct ion in the annual incidence of pyelonephritis (1.8% to 0.6%, P < .001) occurred after the introduction of a program to screen and treat asym ptomatic bacteriuria among pregnant women followed at a large teaching hospital. The data provide retrospective and prospective evidence tha t screening and treatment programs for asymptomatic bacteriuria during pregnancy reduce the risk of pyelonephritis in a population with a mo derate to high prevalence of bacteriuria.