Urinary tract infection is common in the elderly, and the prevalence increases with age due to pathological changes in the urinary tract and common use of bladder catheter.
The increasing incidence of asymptomatic bacteriuria, together with fewer classical dysuria symptoms complicates the diagnosis in the elderly. There is also an increasing prevalence of complicated urinary tract infection including septicaemia. Due to an increase in antibiotic resistance urine culture should precede the choice of antibiotic treatment. Treatment duration is seven days; 14 days in patients with pyelonephritis. Adverse effects are notably higher in the elderly.
Written by:
Frimodt-Møller N. Are you the author?
Klinisk Mikrobiologisk Afdeling, Hvidovre Hospital, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre.
Reference: Ugeskr Laeger. 2013 Nov 18;175(47):2868-2869.
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 24629388
Article in Danish.
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