Why We Focus On UTI's, Especially With Seniors

Urinary Tract Infections (UTI's) are the second most common type of infection in older adults.  In the United States, UTIs result in an estimated 8 million office visits, over 1 million emergency room (ER) visits, and over 500,000 hospitalizations with an associated annual cost of $2.8 billion (2011).  They are also one of the most misdiagnosed infections. 

Young and healthy people suffering from a UTI, while symptomatically aggravating, are unlikely to progress to serious complications.  The Standard Urine Culture (SUC) has been the gold standard test for UTI diagnosis for over one hundred years.  The SUC has played a significant clinical role in managing patients with a suspected UTI. Testing by a SUC can often provide informative and actionable clinical information. 

However, the older we are, the greater the chance the UTI will be complicated or, polymicrobial - having 2 or more pathogens causing the UTI.  The SUC typically does not recognize multiple pathogens causing an infection.  Studies show the SUC misdiagnoses 2/3 of all positive UTI cases in adults. The probability is greater with seniors. The SUC returns these polymicrobial results as "contaminated or "mixed flora".  Hence, the UTI is misdiagnosed and then mistreated.  The symptoms may subside for awhile, but the UTI was not eliminated. 

As the medical provider relies on the SUC, the older patient WILL ALWAYS be at risk of recurrent UTI's, greater morbidity, increased anti-biotic resistance, falls (causing broken bones and head trauma), and sepsis.  Too often, these conditions result in a one-way trip to the ER, Hospital, or Nursing Home.

Effective treatment of UTI's based on timely and accurate diagnosis is essential to keep senior patients out of the ER and hospitals.   Molecular testing, or PCR, is the solution.  It is precise, has a quick turnaround time (under 24 hours) and does not cost the patient or the provider.