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Urinary Tract Infections in Older Adults

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Geriatric Urology

Abstract

Urinary tract infections are a common cause of morbidity and mortality in older adults. Urinary tract infections often present with subtle and atypical symptoms in older women and men. Asymptomatic bacteriuria, when repetitively treated with antibiotics, contributes to a high rate of antibiotic resistant organisms. Clinical practice guidelines have been developed and recently updated for the evaluation and treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria, complicated and uncomplicated urinary tract infections, and catheter-associated urinary tract infections. When a documented urinary tract infection meets the guideline criteria for treatment, therapy is based on the location of infection (upper versus lower tract disease), host factors (complicated and uncomplicated individuals), and the likely causative agent and local resistance patterns. The presentation, diagnosis, and management of asymptomatic bacteriuria, complicated and uncomplicated UTIs, recurrent UTIs as well as catheter-associated UTIs will be discussed along with factors unique to the older adult population and males that may alter treatment. Prevention strategies can be useful to avoid recurrent urinary tract infections. These strategies will also be discussed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Tracey Small Wilson M.D., F.A.C.S.

  2. Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Alayne D. Markland D.O., M.Sc.

  3. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Birmingham/Atlanta Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC); VA Medical Center, GRECC/11G, 700 19th St S, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA

    Alayne D. Markland D.O., M.Sc.

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  1. Tracey Small Wilson M.D., F.A.C.S.
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  2. Alayne D. Markland D.O., M.Sc.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alayne D. Markland D.O., M.Sc. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology and the Landon Center on Aging, The University of Kansas, Kansas City, Kansas, USA

    Tomas Lindor Griebling

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Wilson, T.S., Markland, A.D. (2014). Urinary Tract Infections in Older Adults. In: Griebling, T. (eds) Geriatric Urology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9047-0_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9047-0_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

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