Abstract:
Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disease characterized by
insulin resistance and hyperglycemia, leading to a high infection risk. Urinary tract
infections (UTIs) may impair renal function. Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) is
commonly observed in diabetics and may contribute to complications if undetected.
This study is important as there is a lack of data in northern Sri Lanka.
Objective: To determine the prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria and associated
factors in type 2 diabetes patients attending the diabetic center, Teaching Hospital
Jaffna.
Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 244 T2DM
patients without symptoms of UTI, selected through systematic random sampling.
Clean-catch midstream urine samples were processed using routine microbiological
methods for culture and identification of isolates. Data were analyzed using SPSS
version 20, and the chi-square test was used. (p < 0.05 is significant).
Results: Out of 244 patients, 63.1% were female and 36.9% male. ASB was detected
in 10.7% (26/244), predominantly in females (65.4%). Median diabetes duration was
6.5 years; mean eGFR was 81.6 ml/min/1.73m². The mean age of the participants was
58 years. Out of 26 bacteria isolated, Coliform species (12) were the most common
isolates, followed by coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (5), Streptococcus (3),
Acinetobacter (3), Pseudomonas (1), Enterococcus (1), and Proteus spp (1).
Significant associations were observed between ASB and reduced eGFR (p =0.004)
and diabetic nephropathy (p =0.036). No significant associations were found with age
(p=0.346), sex (p=0.800), duration of diabetes (p=0.973), HbA1c (p=0.513), fasting
glucose (p=0.442), BMI (p=0.995), hypertension (p=0.533), and urine microalbumin
(p=0.095).
Conclusion: ASB prevalence was 10.7% and was significantly associated with
reduced eGFR and diabetic nephropathy. Findings highlight the need for further
studies.
