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. If you want to follow along with written notes on this topic,

you can follow along at zero definals.com slash uti or in the infectious diseases section of the zero of the Zirid Finals Medicine book.

Let's get straight into it.

Urine tract infections involve infection in the bladder causing cystitis, and cystitis is inflammation

of the bladder.

They can be spread up to the kidneys kidneys and this causes pylonephritis

and they're far more common in women where the urethra or the tube between the bladder and the outside

is much shorter, making it very easy for bacteria to get up into the bladder. The main source of bacteria

for urinary tract infections is from feces, where the

normal intestinal bacteria such as E. coli can easily make the short journey to the urethra from the

opening of the anus. Sexual activity is a key method for spreading bacteria around the perineum,

and this is where bacteria are able to find their way towards

the urethal opening. They're also very common in women where incontinence or hygiene are a problem.

Urine catheters are a key source of infection, and catheter-related urinary tract infections

tend to be more significant and more difficult to treat. So how do they present?

Lower urinary tract infections, which is where it only affects the bladder and hasn't spread

up to the kidneys, present with dysuria, which is pain or stinging or burning

sensations when passing urine, superpubic pain or discomfort, so pain in the lower part of the abdomen just above

the pubic bone, frequency of urine, urgency of urine where suddenly they need to go and pass

urine, whereas previously they were able to hold it for a while the bladder filled, incontinence

of urine, and sometimes confusion, or just feeling generally unwell is the only symptom,

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