(34) Urinary Tract Infection Flashcards
Describe the flora of the urinary tract
- kidneys + ureters = sterile
- bladder = usually considered sterile
- urethra = perineal flora (skin/lower GI flora)
The perineal flora is made up of skin flora and lower GI tract flora. What is skin flora made up of?
Predominantly coagulase-negative staphylococci
The perineal flora is made up of skin flora and lower GI tract flora. What is lower GI tract flora made up of?
- anaerobic bacteria
- aerobic bacteria eg. enterobacteriaceae (“enteric gram-negative bacilli”, “coliforms”)
- gram-positive cocci eg. enterococcus spp.
What is cystitis?
Lower urinary tract infection
Cystitis is a syndrome of what collection of symptoms/signs?
- dysuria
- urinary frequency
- urgency
- supra-pubic pain/tenderness
- polyuria, nocturia, haematuria
What is dysuria?
Painful or difficult urination
What is pyelonephritis?
Upper urinary tract infection (infection of kidney and/or renal pelvis)
What are the symptoms of pyelonephritis?
- same symptoms as lower UTI
- loin/abdominal pain/tenderness
- fever
- other evidence of systemic infection eg. rigor, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, elevated CRP, WBC
What is urethral syndrome also known as?
- abacterial cystitis
- frequency-dysuria syndrome
Who does urethral syndrome mostly affect?
30-50 year old women
What are the symptoms of urethral syndrome?
Symptoms of lower UTI without demonstrable infection
What are the theorised causes of urethral syndrome?
- hormonal imbalances
- inflammation of Skene glands and paraurethral glands
- reaction to certain foods
- environmental chemicals
- hypersensitivity following UTI
- traumatic sexual intercourse
What criteria is used to diagnose urinary infection?
Kass criteria
How is significant bacteriuria diagnosed using Kass criteria?
10^5 cfu/mL = significant bacteria
10^4-10^5 cfu/mL = probable infection
What are the limitations of Kass criteria in diagnosis of UTI?
- bacterial count is on a normal curve
- many symptomatic females have bacterial counts of
What is asymptomatic bacteriuria?
- significant bacteriuria (with a single organism)
- no symptoms of UTI
What is sterile pyuria?
- pus in urine
- no organisms grown
What are the predisposing factors for UTI?
- female sex
- urinary stasis
- instrumentation
- sexual intercourse
- fistulae
- congenital abnormalities
What is the female:male ratio for UTIs?
10: 1
female: male
Urinary stasis is a predisposing factor for UTI. What causes urinary stasis?
- pregnancy
- prostatic hypertrophy
- stones
- strictures
- neoplasia
- residual urine
Is sexual intercourse a predisposing factor for UTI?
Yes
Associated with recent sexual intercourse and commoner in sexually active women
What kind of fistulae are predisposing factors for UTI?
- recto-vesical
- vesico-vaginal
What kind of congenital abnormality is a predisposing factor for UTI ?
Vesico-ureteric reflux (VUR)
Where are the potential sources of infection for UTI?
- perineum (movement of bacteria along a lumen)
- fistulae (movement of bacteria from genital/GI tract to urinary tract)
- haematogenous (seeding of infection from blood - rare)
What organism causes 70-80% of UTIs in GP and 50% of UTIs in hospital?
E. coli