Table of Contents
Risk factors
- Urethral stricture
- Enlarged prostate with incomplete bladder emptying
- Diabetes
- Kidney stones
- Indwelling foley catheter
Symptoms
- Urinary urgency and frequency
- Pain or burning during urination
- Blood in urine
- Foul-smelling urine
- Urethral discharge
- Pain in the lower abdomen or back
- Fevers or chills
Diagnosis
Your doctor will typically obtain a urinalysis and urine culture to determine whether a urinary traction infection is present. After appropriate treatment of the infection, we will need to perform a thorough assessment to determine the cause of the urinary tract infection. Tools that may be used to determine the cause include:
- Physical exam and history
- Renal ultrasound or CT scan
- Bladder scan / Post Void Residual
- Cystoscopy
- Prostate Ultrasound
Treatment
Most urinary tract infections can be adequately treated with oral antibiotics. If the infection is severe or the bacteria is resistant to oral antibiotics, it may require intravenous antibiotics. However, once the infection is treated it is paramount to treat the underlying condition to ensure the infections do not recur. Examples of treatments for possible risk factors are below:
- Kidney Stone- removal of the kidney stones via ureteroscopy, percutaneous nephrolithotomy or shock wave lithotripsy
- Urethral stricture – dilation or incision of the stricture to create a more open channel
- Enlarged Prostate – starting medication to improve bladder emptying or performing a procedure to remove the prostate blockage
