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Everything you need to know about Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

A urinary tract infection, more commonly known as a UTI, is an infection in any part of the urinary system.

UTIs can have different names depending on which part of the urinary tract is infected.

Cystitis affects the bladder, pyelonephritis affects the kidneys and urethritis affects the ureter and urethra.

Signs and symptoms include:

  • A burning feeling when urinating 
  • A frequent urge to urinate, despite little urine coming out upon doing so
  • Dark, cloudy or strange-smelling urine 
  • Fatigue
  • Fever and chills
  • Pain in the lower abdomen or back 

Women are much more likely to get a UTI with their risk being as high as 1 in 2 in their lifetime compared to 1 in 10 among men. 

The most common cause of UTIs is a transfer of bacteria from the anus to the urethra. Because women have shorter urethras and less distance between the two body parts, it is easier for bacteria to be introduced. 

Antibiotics are the most common treatment followed by drinking a lot of water to flush bacteria from the body.  

UTIs do not typically lead to death but, when left untreated, they can cause sepsis, a life-threatening condition in which chemicals that the immune system releases into the bloodstream to fight an infection cause inflammation throughout the entire body instead. 

The term for sepsis caused by a UTI is urosepsis. 

Signs of urosepsis include:  

  • fever
  • pain in the lower sides of the back 
  • nausea and vomiting
  • difficulty breathing 
  • inability to think clearly 
  • confusion or delirium 

A 2019 study found that the risk of a bloodstream infection was more than seven times greater in patients who did not receive antibiotics immediately after seeing a physician for a UTI.

The estimated mortality rate from urosepsis is between 30% and 40%.

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