Spectrum: Clinical Decision Support for Infectious Disease, for BC Women's Hospital
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Antimicrobials Antimicrobials

UTI (Acute)

Note

For severe or life-threatening infections, refer to sepsis pathway

For patients from residential care, refer to residential UTI pathway

Asymptomatic bacteriuria?

  • Diagnosis of UTI requires a combination of reliable clinical signs and symptoms AND a positive urine culture

  • DO NOT send urine for culture or perform urine dipstick testing in patients who are asymptomatic

  • Cloudy or foul smelling urine is not an indication for urine culture

  • Pyuria in asymptomatic patients is not an indication for antibiotic treatment

  • NO evidence that antibiotic therapy of asymptomatic bacteriuria is of any benefit EXCEPT:

    • Prior to genitourinary procedures in which mucosal bleeding/trauma is expected
    • In pregnancy

Select All That Apply

More Information

References
  1. Warren JW. Clin Infect Dis. 1999; 29:745-58
  2. University of Michigan Health System Guidelines for Clinical Care. Urinary Tract Infection. Updated May, 2005.
  3. Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement. Uncomplicated urinary tract infection in women. 10th ed. July 2006.
  4. ACOG Committee on Practice Bulletins. Treatment of urinary tract infections in nonpregnant women. Obstet Genecol. 2008; 91:785-794.
  5. Abrahamian FM. Infect Dis Clin N Amer. 2008;22:73-87
  6. Gupta K. Clin Infect Dis. 2011;52:e103-20.

Attribution

Guideline adapted from Providence Health Care