Guidelines
UTI (Residential)

UTI (Residential)

  • In elderly institutionalized patients, delirium and altered behaviour is nonspecific.
  • It requires a work-up to rule out other causes.
  • Diagnosis of UTI: reliable clinical signs/symptoms AND positive urine culture result.
  • Do NOT send urine for culture or perform urine dipstick testing in asymptomatic patients.
  • Asymptomatic bacteriuria in the institutionalized elderly is common. Antibiotic therapy in these cases offers no benefit and increases harm. (e.g. side effects from antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, Clostridium difficile infection).

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Guideline adapted from Providence Health Care