Hello and welcome to the Zero to Finals podcast.

My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be talking to you about urinary tract infections.

And you can find written notes on this topic at zero to finals.com slash UTI or in the Infectious Diseases section of the second edition of the Zero to Finals Medicine

book. So let's get straight into it. Lower urinary tract infections involve infection in the bladder

causing cystitis, which is inflammation of the bladder.

Pylonephritis refers to inflammation of the kidney resulting from bacterial infection.

The inflammation affects the renal pelvis, which is the join between the kidney and the ureter,

the tube coming away from the kidney, as well as the parochyma of the kidney, which is the kidney tissue.

Urinary tract infections are far more common in women because the urethra is much shorter, making it easier for bacteria to get up into the bladder.

The primary source of bacteria for urinary tract infections is from feces.

Normal intestinal bacteria, such as E. coli, can make the short journey from the anus to the

urethal opening and then up the urethra into the bladder.

Sexual activity is a crucial method for spreading bacteria around the perineum.

Incontinence and poor hygiene can also contribute to the development of UTIs.

Urinary catheters are a key source of infection, and catheter-associated urinary tract infections

tend to be more significant and challenging to treat.

Let's talk about the presentation.

Lower urinary tract infections present with dysuria, which is pain, stinging or burning when passing urine,

supropubic pain or discomfort, just above the pubic bone at the bottom of the abdomen,

urinary frequency going more often than normal,

urinary urgency getting a sudden urge and need to pass urine,

incontinence of urine, hematuria or blood in the urine, cloudy or foul-smelling urine, and confusion is commonly the only symptom

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