What is the treatment for a urinary tract infection (UTI)?

Self-care action plan:
People who are prone to getting UTIs usually find that drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day is helpful. UTI's in women sometimes can be prevented by avoiding sexual intercourse 'from behind' and/or passing urine immediately after intercourse.

Someone who has symptoms of UTI and is pregnant or diabetic should see their doctor promptly.

Medicines

Urinary tract infections are normally treated with an antibiotic. Generally, an antibiotic is prescribed as soon as a UTI is diagnosed, without waiting for the results of a urine 'culture' test. A five-day course of tablets is usually given, but sometimes a single large dose is used. Symptoms usually start to improve within 24 hours, but the full course of antibiotics prescribed should be taken to ensure the infection is cleared up completely. Occasionally, the 'culture' test result may make it necessary to change to a different antibiotic. Pyelonephritis, which involves a bacterial infection of the kidney as well as the urinary tract, generally requires hospital admission, for intravenous antibiotics.  Some people with recurrent UTIs need to take continuous low doses of antibiotics to suppress bacterial growth in the urinary tract.

Surgery

Surgery is sometimes needed to correct an abnormality of the urinary tract that increases the likelihood of an individual having an infection. Children with vesico-ureteric reflux, in which urine can pass backwards from the bladder to the ureter, may require preventative antibiotics for a period of time, but the condition usually improves without surgery as they grow older. If the urinary infection is caused by the presence of renal stones, these will need to be removed, often by 'lithotripsy'- an external shock wave therapy that breaks the stones into small pieces which are then passed in the urine.

What is the outcome of a urinary tract infection?

UTI's rapidly responds to appropriate antibiotic treatment. If left untreated however, they can eventually cause permanent kidney damage.