EP68: Bladder Infections: To Treat or Not to Treat in Older Adults?

<p>Bladder Infections: To Treat or Not to Treat in Older Adults?<br /> <br /> “Asymptomatic bacteriuria in long-term care is more common than actual Urinary Tract Infections. About 35 to 40% of men and about 50% of women in long-term care have it—that's even higher for women with urinary incontinence.” -Jamie Smith, MSN, FNP<br /> ____________________________________________________________________<br /> <br /> When someone is aged and frail, the risk of a bladder infection is higher, raising the chances of delirium, hospital admission, or even death.<br /> <br /> In this episode of This Is Getting Old: Moving Towards An Age-Friendly World, Jamie Smith, a Family Nurse Practitioner in geriatrics and nursing home care, describes bladder infections and things you and healthcare professionals should know about helping the older adults decide whether or not to treat with antibiotics.<br /> <br /> <strong>Part One of 'Bladder Infections: To Treat or Not to Treat in Older Adults?'</strong><br /> <br /> What Is A Bladder Infection?<br /> <br /> A Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) a bacterial infection within the bladder. It's an acute illness that affects the genitourinary system and is commonly known as a “bladder infection” - and means you have an infection of your genitourinary system, so your bladder, kidneys, ureters or urethra with a “positive urine” with a urine sample.<br /> <br /> The typical symptoms include: burning sensation with urination, abnormal urgency and frequency in urination. In addition, you may have severe pubic pain or “gross hematuria” (where your pee turns different colors like pinkish or reddish).<br /> <br /> Asymptomatic Bacteriuria (ASB), also known as a colonized state. ASB is where you have a positive urine sample, but lack the typical genitourinary symptoms that go along with a UTI. The presence of bacteria in ASB is in quantitative counts of ≥ 100,000 colony-forming units/milliliter (CFU/mL) or ≥ 100 CFU/mL in a catheterized specimen. Thus, in the absence of urinary tract symptoms, asymptom