Urinary Tract Infection

Question 1

What is the most common cause of UTI?

How does it appear on gram stain?

Answer 1

E.coli (spread from faecal route)

Gram negative rods

Question 2

Why are women more susceptible to UTIs?

Answer 2

Due to shorter urtethra - shorter distance to travel to the bladder to cause cystitis

Question 3

What helps to differentiate a UTI presentation from an upper UTI (pyelonephritis - infection of kidneys)?

Answer 3

Lower UTI

• dysuria
• frequency
• urgency
• discomfort

Pyelonpehritis

• FEVER
• loin tenderness
• vomiting

Question 4

What is the one and only way that UTIs may present in elderly population?

Answer 4

Confusion

Question 5

What can show up on urinalysis?

What should you do if either of these show up?

Answer 5

Nitrites (produced by gas producing bacteria) + leukocytes (WCC in urine suggest infection)

Send a mid stream urine sample off to lab

Question 6

If nitrites show up on urinalysis but not leukocytes how would you manage?

What would you do if just leukocytes and nitrites didn’t turn up?

Answer 6

Just nitrites - manage as a UTI

Leukocytes - more investigation is needed

Question 7

For a woman with a simple UTI how long does AB treatment last?

Compare this to how you would manage a man

Answer 7

3 days

Man = 7 days

Question 8

What ABs would you use?

Answer 8

Refer to antibiotic man

Question 9

If a patient with a catheter develops a UTI what would you do?

Answer 9

Treat with co-amoxiclav and change catheter ASAP

Question 10

Fever in cystitis. T/F?

Answer 10

F - NO FEVER IN CYSTITIS