Final answer:
Urinary tract infections (UTI) are diagnosed through a urinalysis and confirmed with a urine culture, which can detect bacteria, white, and red blood cells. Clean catch samples are critical to avoid contamination. Antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin, are typically prescribed, but treatment may vary based on bacterial resistance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) Diagnosis
A urinary tract infection, often abbreviated as UTI, is commonly diagnosed by assessing a patient’s symptoms and through laboratory testing. One standard laboratory test is a urinalysis (UA), which can detect the presence of white blood cells, red blood cells, and bacteria. If the analysis indicates a potential infection, a urine culture (UCx) is recommended. A culture of a urine sample exceeding 10,000 colony forming units (CFU) can confirm a bladder infection. In cases of complicated or hospital-acquired UTIs, such as with catheter use or after surgery, additional imaging like an ultrasound (US) may be employed to check for abnormalities such as anatomic variations, abscesses, or hydronephrosis.
Collecting a clean catch urine sample is crucial to avoid contamination from the patient’s skin microbiota. This involves a specific hygiene procedure before the sample is taken. Once suspicion of a UTI is confirmed, antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin are often prescribed before culture results, but may need to be adjusted based on the specific bacteria's resistance patterns. In some cases, particularly with a hospital-acquired infection or catheterization, UTIs can be caused by resistant organisms, like Klebsiella pneumoniae, necessitating different treatment strategies.