Urinary Tract Infection Flashcards
What is a urinary tract infection (UTI)?
The presence of microorganisms in the urinary tract in symptomatic patients.
- typically caused by bacteria from gut flora
- bacteria usually enter through the urethra and ascend upwards
What is involved in an upper UTI?
- pyelonephritis (kidney)
- ureteritis
What is involved in a lower UTI?
- cystitis (bladder)
- urethritis
- prostatitis
How are UTI’s classified?
- Asymptomatic bateriuria
- Acute cystitis
- Complicated UTI
- Recurrent (relapse, reinfection)
(2+3 guide choice and duration of abx)
What is asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU)?
The presence of a significant amount of bacteria in the urine of an asymptomatic individual
Does not require treatment in most patients except:
- pregnant females
- those who will undergo urological procedures with mucosal trauma
What is acute (uncomplicated) cystitis?
The infection and S&S are localized to the bladder.
- Typically occurs in otherwise healthy, immunocompetent individuals with normal kidney and urinary tract system structure and function.
Caused by microorganisms ‘typical’ for UTI
What are the typical microorganisms ‘typical’ for UTI?
E. Coli or Staphylococcus saprophyticus
What is a complicated UTI?
The infection extends above the bladder or systemic illness (symptoms) are present.
Often factors exist that compromise the urinary tract (an anatomic or functional abnormality that affect urine flow) or host defences (immune-compromise)
What is considered a ‘recurrent’ UTI and what can it be d/t?
> 3 UTIs in 1 year is considered frequent.
Reinfection: Occurs > 2 weeks after completion of antimicrobial therapy for a previous UTI
A new infection originating from outside of the urinary tract (even if the etiologic agent is the same)
Relapse: Occurs within 2 weeks of completing antimicrobial therapy.
Caused by the persistence of the same microorganism in the urinary tract (may suggest an antibiotic-resistant pathogen).
What are uropathogenic bacteria?
- Bacteria that cause UTI’s
- virulence factors assist bacteria in avoiding host defences and enable infection of the urinary tract
- e.g. fimbriae bind to uroepithelial cells and flagella move bacteria ‘upstream’
>80% of UTI’s in healthy individuals caused by uropathogenic E. Coli (UPEC)
Bacteria that typically cause lower UTI’s are gram…?
gram-negative bacteria of the GI tract (called enterobacterales). E.g. escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and proteus mirabilis
The second most common cause of uncomplicated UIT is?
Staphylococcus saprophyticus = gram-positive bacteria from the GI tract that accounts for 42% of UTIs in sexually active females between the ages of 16-25.
What are host defences against UTI?
- Urine flow (unidirectional)
- acidic pH of urine
- complete and frequent bladder emptying
- periurethral (female) and urethral (male) mucus-secreting glands (mucus traps ascending bacteria)
- antibacterial secretions from urinary tract epithelial cells (released in response to the detection of uropathogens and prostate
- uromodulin (produced by kidney tubule cells, released in the urine, and thought to block E. coli from binding to receptors on the uroepithelial surface)
- immune defences (e.g. innate immune cells of the urinary tract
- Normal urogenital flora (Lactobacillus species) in females defend against colonization.
What role does estrogen play in a females defences against UTI?
- estrogen stimulates the secretion of glycogen-rich vaginal fluids
- Lactobacilli produce lactic aced from glycogen creating an acidic environment
- reduced pH and other antibacterial substances from lactobacilli inhibit colonization by other bacteria
Why would bacteria that convert urea to ammonia (e.g. P. mirabilis, S. saprophyticus, S. aureas) be uropathogenic?
Urease producing bacteria make the urine more alkaline (virulence factor for uropathogenicity).
This also favours the formation of struvite stones