Microscopy, culture, and sensitive management of uncomplicated urinary tract infections in adults in the primary care setting.

Abstract

The high prevalence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) places a significant burden on healthcare systems. Clinicians may over-manage the issue, and there is great variability in practice, with economic- and resource- implications. Up to 40% of patients with a suspected UTI do not have an infection. Using PubMed (Medline) to shortlist relevant papers in English from the last 30 years, and further sub-selection to include only uncomplicated UTIs in adults in primary care, we reviewed the literature pertaining to uncomplicated UTIs, and how it should be managed efficiently in the primary care setting. In general practice, there is no advantage to routinely request microscopy and culture of urine samples in the presence of an appropriate history and urinalysis reagent-strip testing. If antibiotics are required, then a 3-day course shall suffice. Larger epidemiological studies focusing on more susceptible sub-populations may provide better guidance for discriminatory factors to produce an algorithm for treatment.