Pathology of UTI Flashcards
How do UTIs usually present?
- Dysuria
- Frequency
- Smelly urine
Dysuria
Pain on micturition
How can a UTI present in the very young?
- Unwell
- Failure to thrive
How can a UTI present in the elderly?
- Incontinence
- Off their feet
What percentage of CO accounts for renal blood flow?
20-25%
What does urine output change with in the normal renal tract?
Oral intake of fluids
Why is there reduced resorption of fluid if theirs increased fluid intake?
There is increased urine output
How does urine from the kidneys reach the bladder?
There is a continuous trickle of urine through the ureters
How do the ureters enter the bladder?
At an angle
How is reflux of urine up the ureters prevented?
Increasing pressure from the filling bladder closes off the ureter/
What are the bacteriostatic properties of the normal urinary tract?
- free flow of urine through normal anatomy (assumes drinking enough fluids)
- low pH, high osmolality, high ammonia (NH3) content of normal urine
- prostatic secretions are bacteriostatic
- anti-bacterial antibodies
What parts of the urinary tract are sterile?
All of the urinary tract apart from the terminal urethra
Why is the terminal urethra not sterile?
Skin (perineal) and gut (rectal) flora means it is not sterile
What type of aspirate would be sterile?
Suprapubic
What is urinated specimen always contaminated by?
Urethral flora
What will initial voiding do?
Flush out many terminal urethral flora bacteria
How should urine for culture be collected?
MSSU
-Patient voids and stops mid-stream, discarding urine, then collects next volume of urine
What does MSSU stand for?
Mid stream specimen urine
What is always present in MSSU?
Urethral flora but it is diminished
What will always grow in culture?
Urethral flora
How can contamination be differentiated from real infection in MSSU culture?
Cultured under set conditions and bacteria multiply in log phase growth
- 10^5 usually infection
- 10^3> 10^4 sometimes infection, probable if symptomatic (50% chance if no symptoms)
- <10^3 usually no infection
Who is it difficult to collect MSSU from?
Young children and the elderly
What problems are there with interpreting urine culture?
Some bacterial species are not normally present in terminal urethra/rectal flora and may be pathogenic at low colony numbers
What organisms cause UTIs?
- Bacteria mostly gut flora and especially E coli
- Viral infections are rare