Urinary tract infection in young females and preventive measures

1. Urinary tract infection in young female
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a significant health-care problem worldwide, often seen in outpatient
clinics, emergency department visits, as well as in hospitalized patients. Its estimated incidence
approaches 150 million new cases per year.[1] The treatment and diagnosis of UTI accounts for an
approximate 6 billion US dollars of expenditures.Bladder infections or cystitis alone accounts for >10
millionofficevisitsand1 millionemergencydepartmentvisits and>2 billiondollarsasannual health-care
cost inthe US alone due tovariousprescriptionsanddiagnostictests.UrinaryTractInfections(UTIs) isan
infection bring by the presence and development of microorganisms in any part of the urinary tract.
Urinarytract incorporatesthe organsthatgatherandstore urine anddeliveryitfromthe body,including:
kidneys,ureters,bladderandurethra.UTI are caused bythe presence of bacteriainurine althoughfungi
and virus involved.The most common bacteria that cause UTIs are the Escherichia coli (E. coli). These
microscopicorganismsinfectioncouldinfluence the lowerurinarytractwhichisknownassimple cystitis,
or it might include the upper urinary tract and such lower urinary tract infection causes serious kidney
infection.AsymptomaticUTIoccurs whenurinarytract pathogensenterintothe bladderwithoutcausing
apparent symptoms.Symptomatic UTI: When this condition is accompanied with symptom (s) or
syndrome,itbecomessymptomaticUrinaryTractInfection.Itisapreventabledisease.Itcanbe prevented
if appropriate preventive measures are adopted while providing care to the patient. Most women
experience recurrent infections within a year, with bacterial infections being the most common and
occurringbetween(16-36) yearsof age,with40-60% of womenhavinganinfectionatsome pointintheir
lives.Nearly90%of UTIs are single and10% are recurrent.Genderandsexual activityare majorfactorsin
UTIs in adults. Urinary tract infections and their associated complications are responsible for nearly 150
milliondeathsworldwideeachyear.Itisestimatedthatone inthree adultwomenisdiagnosedwithaUTI
before the age of 24. Among the most common infectious diseases, urinary tract infections (UTIs) are
frequently encountered by clinicians in developing countries.

2. Risk factors
Factors suggesting a complicated urinary tract infection[9]
Factors suggesting a complicated UTI (structural/functional abnormality in the urinary tract)
Urinary tract obstruction
Pregnancy
Immunosuppression
Fever
Catheterization
Renal insufficiency
Diabetes
Men
Prolonged symptoms (>1 week)
Failure to respond to medical therapy
Persistent bacteria after appropriate treatment
For a urinary infection to occur, there are many superimposing factors that interplay including host
factors, inoculum size, and the virulence of the infecting bug. The first event that leads to a UTI is the
inoculation.The mostcommontheoremfor inoculationisthe ascendingroute.Entericbacteriacolonize
the perineum and ascend into the urethra and bladder.
As forthe recurrence of a urinaryinfection,multiple factorsplayarole.Onthe microbiological level,one
theory is the decrease of peroxide-producing lactobacilli, predisposing to increased colonization with
pathogenicentericbacteria.[15] Anothertheoremisthe formationof intracellularclustersof bacteriathat
are not sensitive to antibiotics, while others postulate a change in the glycosaminoglycan barrier of the
urothelium that makes an individual more susceptible to enteropathogenic infection.