The treatment of urinary tract infection

Urinary infections are due to organisms gaining entry from the genital area and are therefore much commoner in females than in males. In male patients of any age urinary infection is often associated with some underlying abnormality and warrants full investigation. Recurrent infections in girl children may lead to renal scarring and later impairment of function and require careful management. Occult infections occur. The majority of patients with urinary symptoms are adult women, and symptoms tend to recur. These can produce great distress but in this age-group they do not lead to renal scarring. When symptoms occur for the first time during pregnancy they are associated with a high prevalence of underlying radiological abnormalities and should be investigated after the pregnancy. Care should be taken to ensure that apparent uprinary symptoms due to other causes are not mistakenly treated with antibiotics. The immediate management of patients with urinary symptoms consists in relief of discomfort, combined with treatment by an antibacterial drug appropriate for the infecting organism. The urine culture should be repeated after the course of treatment. Simple measures can prevent or reduce recurrences in adult women.