Unless there are UTI symptoms such as urinary discomfort, abdominal/back pain, frequency, urgency or fever, testing should not be done. Testing often shows bacteria in the urine, with as many as 50% of those tested showing bacteria present in the absence of localizing symptoms to the genitourinary tract. Over-testing and treating asymptomatic bacteriuria with antibiotics leads to increased risk of diarrhea and infection with Clostridium difficile. Overuse of antibiotics contributes to increasing antibiotic-resistant organisms.

Conditions: Urinary tract infection (UTI)

Diagnostic Tests: Urine dip, urine culture

Treatments: Antibiotics treatment

Sources

• High KP, Bradley SF, Gravenstein S, et al. Clinical practice guideline for the evaluation of fever and infection in older adult residents of long-term care facilities: 2008 update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clin Infect Dis. 2009 Jan 15;48(2):149-71. (PubMed)
• Nicolle LE, Bradley S, Colgan R, et al. Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria in adults. Clin Infect Dis. 2005 Mar 1;40(5):643-54. (PubMed)
• Stone ND, Ashraf MS, Calder J, et al. Surveillance definitions of infections in long-term care facilities: revisiting the McGeer criteria. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2012 Oct;33(10):965-77. (PubMed)