Urinary tract infection Health Article

Expectations (prognosis)

Cystitis is uncomfortable, but usually responds well to treatment.

Complications

• Chronic or recurrent urinary tract infection -- defined as at least two infections in 6 months or at least three in 1 year
• Complicated UTI
• Kidney infection

Calling your health care provider

Call your doctor if you, or your child, have symptoms of a UTI. Call right away if there is fever or chills, back or side pain, or vomiting. These symptoms suggest a possible kidney infection.

Also call if:

• You have diabetes or are pregnant
• There is discharge from the penis or vagina
• The penis or vagina is painful, or sexual intercourse is painful
• You suspect a child may have been sexually abused
• There is blood or pus in the urine
• The symptoms come back a short time after treatment with antibiotics

Prevention

• Do NOT douche or use similar feminine hygiene products.
• Do NOT drink fluids that irritate the bladder, like alcohol and caffeine.
• Drink cranberry juice or use cranberry tablets, but NOT if you have a personal or family history of kidney stones.
• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Keep your genital area clean.
• Urinate after sexual intercourse.
• Wear cloth undergarments.
• Wipe from front to back.

Use of low-dose antibiotics on a daily basis may be recommended to prevent UTIs if you get frequent infections.

References

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Evidence-based care guideline for medical management of first urinary tract infection in children 12 years of age or less. Cincinnati (OH): Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; 2006 Nov. 23 p.

Walsh, PC, ed. Campbell’s Urology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders; 2002.

Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, eds. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 5th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2002.