Hello! And welcome to Urinary Tract Infections For Dummies
My name is Miss UTI
and today we’ll be learning about urinary tract infections
(or commonly known as UTIs)
So, what is a urinary tract infection?
A urinary tract infection is an infection that occurs within the urinary system
which includes the urethra, ureters, bladder and kidneys
Now that we know what a UTI is...
Let’s talk about what population is affected?
Women are at a higher risk to develop UTIs in comparison to men
Interestingly, On average...
Canadian women make about 500,000 visits to the doctors per year due to a UTI
In cases where the infection is left untreated...
the bacteria can potentially move to either one or both of the kidneys and cause an infection
A major factor that contributes to the prevalence of UTIs in women is their anatomy
Women tend to have a shorter urethra than men, which allows it to be closer to the anus...
when women wipe from the back to the front, bacteria found in the anus travels into the bladder
and thus, causes an infection
Other risk factors include sexual activity, types of birth control
(Such as diaphragms or spermicidal agents),
abnormalities or blockages in the urinary tract,
or simply a suppressed immune system
Now let's dive further into how a UTI occurs
Improper wiping, sexual Intercourse, and unhygienic sanitary products can give rise to bacteria such as E. coli.
This bacteria then enters the urinary tract through the urethra, starting a UTI
The bacteria travels through the urinary tract causing infections along the way. A UTI can progress in five stages:
Colonization, Uroepithelium penetration, Ascension, Pyelonephritis and Acute kidney injury
Here’s a visual representation of the bacteria’s path for you to better understand its mechanism of attack
Stage 1 is colonization:
Bacteria colonize the periurethral area, which causes infection in the urethra also known as urethritis.
The bacteria then slowly ascend upwards to the urethra and makes their way to the bladder
The second stage is Uroepithelium penetration:
The bacteria attach to the bladder epithelial cells causing Cystitis, otherwise known as infection in the bladder
The bacteria then replicates and increases in number in order to penetrate the bladder and form a biofilm
Stage 3 is Ascension: where the bacteria ascends towards the kidney via the ureters
Bacterial toxins may also play a role by inhibiting peristalsis, meaning reducing the flow of urine
Bacterial ascension or hematogenous spread, which infects the renal parenchyma
This results in an inflammatory response called pyelonephritis, which is the fourth stage of a UTI
Continuous inflammatory response results in interstitial edema, interstitial nephritis,
and ultimately The fifth and final stage of a UTI, acute kidney injury (AKI)
As mentioned, the severity of a UTI gets worse and worse as the bacteria ascends upwards to the urinary tract
Therefore, it is necessary to treat a UTI early on, in order to prevent harmful conditions
Now lets discuss the symptoms, treatment options, and methods of prevention for UTIs
the symptoms for upper and lower UTIs are different
for lower UTI the symptoms include frequent or urgent urination, as well as pain or pressure above the pubic bone
symptoms of upper UTIs typically happen with lower UTIs...
and include pain and tenderness in the upper back and sides,
fever, and chills
Treatment for UTIs typically include antibiotics
the type of antibiotics that is prescribed depends on location, severity, and type of UTI
a urine culture is typically needed before prescribing antibiotics
the duration of treatment is usually between 3 to 14 days
there are different methods of prevention for UTIs
increasing fluid intake, drinking more cranberry juice or concentrate
avoiding anal intercourse, avoiding the use of contraceptive measures like spermicides or diaphragms
urinating after sexual intercourse and taking one dose of antibiotics after sex
are some ways that you can reduce your chances of contracting a UTI
Now, why is understanding the topic of UTIs important?
As previously mentioned, it is the most common outpatient infection
The infection has a 50-60% lifetime incidence in adult women
meaning that this is the percentage of female individuals
who will have the disease during their lifetime
This illustrates how widespread the infection is throughout the population
and thus, it is an important topic to understand
Research shows that women who suffer from frequent UTIs have their quality of life impacted
This shows how great of an impact the infection can have in an individuals’ daily life
Furthermore, UTIs typically respond very well to treatment
If left untreated, the infection can spread throughout the body
becoming more complicated and dangerous
For example, if the UTI spreads beyond the bladder
reaching areas such as the kidney and ureters, urosepsis can occur.
This serious complication requires immediate attention
in order to avoid a possible life-threatening event
As a result of the risk of hospitalization due to UTI complications,
these infections are associated with a significant burden of care on affected individuals
Well, that brings us to the end of our lesson on urinary tract infections!
We hope you learned something new
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