RT Book, Section
A1 Sorensen, Mathew
A1 Walsh, Thomas J.
A1 Haider, Maahum A.
A2 Papadakis, Maxine A.
A2 McPhee, Stephen J.
A2 Rabow, Michael W.
A2 McQuaid, Kenneth R.
SR Print(0)
ID 1184183785
T1 Genitourinary Tract Infections
T2 Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2022
YR 2022
FD 2022
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9781264269389
LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1184183785
RD 2024/04/23
AB Urinary  tract  infections  are  among  the  most  common  entities  encountered  in  medical  practice.  In  acute  infections,  a  single  pathogen  is  usually  found,  whereas  two  or  more  pathogens  are  often  seen  in  chronic  infections.  Coliform  bacteria  are  responsible  for  most  non-nosocomial,  uncomplicated  urinary  tract  infections,  with  Escherichia  coli  being  the  most  common.  Such  infections  typically  are  sensitive  to  a  wide  variety  of  orally  administered  antibiotics  and  respond  quickly.  Nosocomial  infections  often  are  due  to  more  resistant  pathogens  and  may  require  parenteral  antibiotics.  Renal  infections  are  of  particular  concern  because  if  they  are  inadequately  treated,  loss  of  kidney  function  may  result.  A  urine  culture  is  recommended  for  patients  with  suspected  urinary  tract  infection  and  ideally  should  be  obtained  prior  to  the  initiation  of  antibiotic  therapy.  Previously,  a  colony  count  greater  than  105/mL  was  considered  the  criterion  for  urinary  tract  infection,  though  up  to  50%  of  women  with  symptomatic  infections  may  have  lower  counts.  In  addition,  the  presence  of  pyuria  correlates  poorly  with  the  diagnosis  of  urinary  tract  infection,  and  thus  urinalysis  alone  is  not  adequate  for  diagnosis.  With  respect  to  treatment,  tissue  infections  (pyelonephritis,  prostatitis)  require  therapy  for  1–2  weeks,  while  mucosal  infections  (cystitis)  require  only  1–3  days  of  therapy.