Peripartum Bacteruria and Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)
Peripartum Bacteruria and Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)
In the last years urinary tract infections (UTI) and pyelonephritis have been the most common
 reason for readmission to our hospital after birth. UTI is know to be one of the leading
 causes of postpartum fever affecting about 3%-8% of all postpartum women.

 The investigators hypothesize that collecting urine cultures pre- and postnatally may help
 identify women at risk for developing UTI, while treating women with positive cultures could
 decrease the rehospitalization rate due to postpartum fever. Collecting data during delivery
 may help identify women at risk for this complication.
The study is planned as a randomized controlled study with 500 women in each arm. The study
 group will have pre and post labor urine cultures taken, and the risk factors during delivery
 will be documented, while the control group will have no cultures taken, as the common
 practice prior to the study.

 Women with positive cultures will be contacted by telephone, and antibiotic treatment
 recommended according to bacteria sensitivity. All women will be contacted by telephone 1
 month post partum and data regarding urinary tract symptoms and need for hospitalization,
 will be collected. The rehospitalization rate will be documented and compared between the two
 groups.

 The assumption is that routine urine culture to women in the peripartum period may reduce the
 UTI rate and hospitalization after delivery.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Parturients planned for vaginal delivery

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Parturients receiving antibiotic treatment during delivery or in the week before