Alternative Names
Bladder infection – adults; UTI – adults; Cystitis – bacterial – adults; Pyelonephritis – adults; Kidney infection – adults
Definition of Urinary tract infection – adults
A urinary tract infection, or UTI, is an infection that can happen anywhere along the urinary tract. Urinary tract infections have different names, depending on what part of the urinary tract is infected.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Urinary tract infections are caused by germs, usually bacteria that enter the urethra and then the bladder. This can lead to infection, most commonly in the bladder itself, which can spread to the kidneys.
Symptoms
The symptoms of a bladder infection include:
Signs and tests
A urine sample is usually collected to perform the following tests:
Treatment
Your doctor must first decide whether you have a mild or simple bladder or kidney infection, or whether your infection is more serious.
Expectations (prognosis)
A urinary tract infection is uncomfortable, but treatment is usually successful. Symptoms of a bladder infection usually disappear within 24 – 48 hours after treatment begins. If you have a kidney infection, it may take 1 week or longer for your symptoms to go away.
Review
David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc., Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. – 9/17/2010
