The UK NSC recommendation on Asymptomatic Bacteriuria screening in pregnancy

Recommendation	Systematic population screening programme not recommended, clinical practice guidelines covered by NICE
Last review completed	March 2017
Next review due in	2019/20
Key downloads	Plain English summary of UK NSC recommendation Last external review - UK NSC ASB Review (final) 2017 UK NSC coversheet and consultation responses
Screening for asymptomatic bacteriuria should be offered as part of routine antenatal care packages. The UK NSC is concerned about the lack of knowledge about the current prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria, the impact of screening on pyelonephritis as a whole, the optimum test, its timing and frequency during the pregnancy and the optimum treatment strategy.  However current practice overlaps with guidance in other areas and the consequences of recommending withdrawal of screening are uncertain at this point.

Find general information about population health screening.

More about Asymptomatic bacteriuria

Asymptomatic bacteriuria is the presence of bacteria in the urine of an individual with no symptoms. It can be indicative of urinary tract infections.

» Read more about urinary tract infection on NHS Choices

Stakeholders

• Faculty of Public Health
• Group B Strep Support
• Royal College of General Practitioners
• Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
• Royal College of Physicians
• Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
• Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
• UCL Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women’s Health

The stakeholder groups will be involved when the recommendation is next reviewed. If you think your organisation should be added, please contact us. More information for stakeholders can be found in appendix C of the UK NSC evidence review process.

Related documents

Antenatal Screening for Asymptomatic Bacteriuria Policy Review Summary (PDF document, 165KB, 28/05/12)

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