Lecture 8/9: Urinary Tract Infections Flashcards
What is the lining of the urinary tract?
Urothelium
Is the urine/ bladder a sterile environment?
No
2 studies in 2010/11 used metagenomics to reveal the microbiome of healthy adult urine
How does microbial immigration of the urinary tract occur?
From skin, faeces, vagina
Enter urethra and can ascend all the way to the kidneys
How does microbial elimination of the urinary tract occur?
Urine flow
Innate and adaptive immune defences
Having a healthy UT/ vaginal microbiome
What is the common bacterial load present in the urine?
~10^4-10^5 colony forming units per ml
(low bacterial load)
What is the common bacterial load present in the faeces?
10^12 colony forming units per gram
What percentage of urinary microbiota are shared with the gut?
62.5%
What percentage of urinary microbiota are shared with the vagina?
32%
What are risk factors of UTIs?
Female anatomy
Structural problems
Pregnancy
Catheterisation
Previous UTI
Structural problems
Compromised immune system
Sexual activity
Age
Dehydration
Changed vaginal microbiome
Uncontrolled diabetes
Poor hygiene
What are the defining factors of uncomplicated UTI?
Adult patient
Female anatomy
Functionally normal urinary tract
No fever
Not immunocompromised
Not pregnant
Sensitive to antibiotics
What are the defining factors of a complicated UTI?
Child patient
Male anatomy
Structurally abnormal urinary tract
Fever
Immunocompromised
Pregnant
Resistant to antibiotics
What are the symptoms of a UTI?
More frequent urination
Burning sensation when urinating
Urine is cloudy, darks or smells
Pain in lower abdomen
Hugh or low temperature
Children: being sick
What are the complications of UTIs?
Recurrent infections
Chronic infection
Kidney infection
Premature delivery (pregnant)
Bloodstream infection
Sepsis
When is a UTI considered recurrent infection?
> 2 UTIs within 6 months
> 3 within a year
What percentage of women who have had a UTI will have a recurrence?
20-30%
What is the balloon design of a catheter called?
Foley catheter
What are the short-term uses of a urinary catheter?
Before/ during/ after surgery
During childbirth with epidural
To deliver chemotherapy for bladder cancer
What are the long term uses of urinary catheterisation?
If the urethra is blocked
Never damage that affects urinary control
Last-resort treatment for urinary incontinence
Elective use by wheelchair users due to lack of accessible toilets
How can biofilms form on urinary catheters?
Outside or inside can get contaminated by host-associated or environmental bacteria
What does catheterisation trigger and what is the effect?
Release of fibrinogen into the bladder
This sticks to the catheter - priming it for adhesion of bacteria that have fibrinogen-binding adhesins
What substances can encrust the catheter surface?
Crystallisation of calcium and magnesium phosphate from the urine
What percentage of healthcare acquired infection are catheter acquired-UTIs?
50%
In 12 moths spanning 2016/17 catheter associated UTIs in NHS inpatients caused…
Excess bed days, lost QALYs, deaths, direct hospital costs
45,717 excess bed-days
10,471 lost QALYs
1,467 deaths
£54.4M direct hospital costs
What is the most common pathogen associated with a UTI?
Escherichia coli
What does uropathogenic E. Coli posses to aid with its infectivity causing UTI?
Flagella provides motility
Diverse array of pili allow bacteria to stick to host cells and surfaces
Forms biofilms
Alpha-haemolysin bursts host cell membranes releasing nutrients
Siderophores capture essential iron and copper from host metal-chelating proteins
What is the difference in effect between the type I pili and type P pili associated with E. Coli?
Type 1 pili facilitate attachment to bladder lining
Type P pili facilitate attachment in the kidneys, affects ability of host cells to display immunoglobulins