From the Research
Urinary Tract Infections in Elderly Females
- Elderly females can develop Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) due to various pathogens, including Group B Streptococcus (GBS) 1.
- A study found that GBS was the isolated microorganism in 184 (8.92%) cases of UTI in females, with a higher prevalence recorded in the 51-60 and 21-30 age groups 1.
- However, another study found that E. coli was the most common cause of UTI in elderly women, responsible for 76.56% of cases 2.
- The prevalence of UTI in elderly women is high, with one study finding that 16.55% of elderly women had UTI 2.
- Risk factors for UTI in elderly women include diabetes, history of previous UTI, and vaginitis 2.
- Asymptomatic bacteriuria is common in elderly women and should not be treated 3, 4.
- Symptomatic UTI in elderly women requires careful clinical evaluation and laboratory assessment using urinalysis and urine culture 3.
- Antibiotics should be selected based on the uropathogen, local resistance rates, and adverse effect profiles 3.
- Chronic suppressive antibiotics and vaginal estrogen therapy may be effective in reducing symptomatic UTI episodes in elderly women with recurrent UTIs 3.