A preliminary study of significant bacteriuria in patients with renal disease

Abstract

Urinary tract infection (significant) bacteriuria) is an important factor in increasing the morbidity of patients with renal disease. A prospective study of 50 consecutive patients with a variety of renal diseases, other than that primarily due to urinary tract infection, was done at the University Medical Unit, General Hospital Colombo. Fifty patients (23 males and 27 females) with a mean age of 33 years) were studied. The spectrum of illnesses included patients with glomeru lonephritis -24, nephrolithiasis 7, Hypertensive nephrosclerosis-5, polycystic kidney disease-3,Lupus nephropathy-3 and bladder neck obstruction-3 patients. Significant bacteriuria (grater than 105 organisms per ml.) was seen in ll patients (22%) which is considerably higher than that in the general population(1.5-1.8%). Dysuria, frequency and fever were seen in 27-36% of patients with significant bacteriuia. Cloudiness of urine with positive cultures. Pseudomonas aerugenosa was cultured in 4 cases(2 with bladder neck obstruction, 1 with nephrolithiasis and I with glomerulonephritis) Whilist Escherichia Coli and Klebsiella aerogenes were cultured from 3 patients each. Each of the organisms was found to be sensitive to Gentamicin and reseistant to Ampicillin. This suggested that the organism was selected by previous use of antibiotics In view of the high incidence of urinary tract infection in this group urine culture studies should be included in the basic investigation of any patients suspected of renal disease.