Urinary Tract Infection Flashcards
define UTI
presence of micro-organisms in the urinary tract that are causing clinical infection
what does lower UTI denote
infection confined to the bladder - cystitis
complicated UTI
UTI complicated by systemic symptoms (eg fever, loin pain, malaise) or urinary structural abnormality/stones
bacteriuria
bacteria present in the urine
doesnt always mean there is a n infection
in which patients is there commonly bacteriuria without infection
elderly and those with catheters
UTI in men
culture as this is uncommon and there is often an underlying cause
is urine sterile?
- bladder urine normally is
- urine passed via the urethra will be contaminated with bacteria from the perineum or lower urethra
why is MSU used
first pass is most likely to be contaminated
suprapubic aspiration and straight (in/out) catheter urine sample
achieve a clean sample, however are not practical
Boricon container
- for MSU
- red lid
- contains boric acid which is a preservative to stop the bacteria multiplying so works for around 24 hours
- Is often used in GPs
sterile universal container
- for MSU
- white lid
- must reach lab within 2 hours of collection
what do you do with a sample you receive that has expired (over 2 hours in white, over 24 in red top)
discard it
which presumption is made when analysing a MSU sample
that the sample has been taken properly
directions for collecting a MSU
- Label container
- Give a suitable wide mouthed sterile (foil) bowl to the patient, especially important in females
- First urine passed into toilet, and mid-stream part collected
- Urine is transferred from bowl to appropriate laboratory container
should the perineum/urethral meatus be washed with sterile sample before taking MSU
controversiale evidence
who might not be able to give a MSU
those with mobility/cognitive issues or those who are very young
who is a clean catch urine sample used in
children, those with cognitive impairemnet or physical restriction
which patients is a bag specimen of urine used in
- babies
- the bag is attached to the perineum, so often contaminated with bowel flora
when is dipstick of good use
- in the community setting
- it is only really effective as a negative predictor (eg rule out infection)
- often used in young women who present at the GP with cystitis
leukocyte esterase on dipstick
- indicates the presence of WBC in the urine
- esterase is an enzyme produced by WBC
nitrites on dipstick
- indicate the presence of certain bacteria in the urine, these convert endogenous nitrates to nitrites
- mainly coliforms
which bacteria dont produce nitrite positiive dipstick
- pseudomonas
- enterococcus
- staphylococcus
in which 2 groups of patients should you definitely not dipstick urine
- elderly
- catheter specimens
contaminated !!
what is microscopy of urine used for
- looks for the presence of polymorphs (pus cells), bacteria and red cells in urine
- rarely used
what is a culture used for
to detect significant bacteriuria
Kass’s criteria for urine culture
counts number of colonies to determine the likelihood of a UTI
- >105 organisms / ml: significant =probable UTI
- <103 organisms / ml: not significant bacteriuria
- 104 organisms / ml:? contaminated ?infection - repeat specimen
which patient group does Kass’s criteria apply to
those of child bearing age
what is a genuine UTI in a non-catheterised usually caused by
- pure growth - single organism >105 orgs/ml
mixed growth
- (≥2 organisms)
- even if >105 is probably not significant
what is the distribution like of infection in the kidney
patchy
pathogenesis of pyelonephritis
- most commonly an ascending infection from a lower UTI
- present in conjunction with cystitis
- bacteria from bowel, perineal skin of lower end of urethra
- blood borne spread
- rarely occurs in septicemia, infective endocarditis or post surgery
which organisms are often implicated in a pyelonephritis from blood borne spread
S aureus
also E coli
what is the most common organism in a UTI
E coli
organisms implicated in UTI
- E coli
- Other aerobic Gram negatives e.g. Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas**, Proteus
- Enterococcus (faecalis and faecium)
where does E coli reside in cells
in the LPS layer of gram negatives and activates the immune response from here
give 2 reasons as to why E coli is the most common cause of UTI
- most common aerobe in the bowel
- has fimbriae which allow it to ascend up the urinary tract
what precautions must be taken for a E coli infection
no extra needed - standard gloves and apron
infection with which organism causes the development of renal stones
- proteus
- produces urease which breaks down urea to form ammonia, which increases urinary pH
- this causes precipitation of salts
- renal stones
which type of stones does proteus cause
- struvite stones- triple phosphate stones
- cause staghorn calculi