User talk:Doc James/Urinary tract infection
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is a bacterial infection in part of the urinary tract. When it affects the lower urinary tract, it is known as a simple cystitis (a bladder infection). When it affects the upper urinary tract, it is known as pyelonephritis (a kidney infection). Symptoms from a lower urinary tract include painful peeing and either frequent peeing or urge to pee (or both). Symptoms of a kidney infection also include a high body temperature and side and back pain. In old people and young children, the symptoms are not always as clear. The main cause for both types is the bacteria Escherichia coli. In rare cases, however, other bacteria, viruses, or fungus may be the cause.
Urinary tract infection | |
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Classification and external resources | |
ICD-10 | N39.0 |
ICD-9 | 599.0 |
DiseasesDB | 13657 |
MedlinePlus | 000521 |
eMedicine | emerg/625 emerg/626 |
MeSH | D014552 |
Urinary tract infections are more common in women than men. Half of women have an infection at some point in their lives. It is common to have repeated infections. Risk factors include sexual intercourse as well as family history. Kidney infection can follow a bladder infection. Kidney infection also can be caused by a blood borne infection. Diagnosis in young healthy women can be based on symptoms alone. Diagnosis can be difficult in people whose symptoms are not clear because bacteria can be present even though the person does not have an infection. In complicated cases or if treatment does not work, a urine culture is sometimes useful. A person with frequent infections can take low-dose antibiotics to prevent future infections.
Simple cases of urinary tract infections are easily treated with a short course of antibiotics. resistance to many of the antibiotics used to treat this condition, however, is increasing. People who have complicated urinary tract infections sometimes have to take antibiotics for a longer period of time, or might take intravenous antibiotics. If symptoms have not improved in two or three days, a person will need further tests. In women, urinary tract infections are the most common form of bacterial infection. Ten percent of women develop urinary tract infections yearly.