Does E. coli cause urinary tract infection?
Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
My mother had a UTI a few months ago and an antibiotic course was given for 10 days. Last week we did a routine urine check and the report is attached below. She has no symptoms but her urine culture shows E.coli. Please suggest.
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
I understand your concern.
I can only see the urine routine report (attachment removed to protect patient's identity) and not the culture report for some reason, so I do not know how much of E.coli she has in her urine. If your mother has no symptoms at the moment it would be wise to stay away from antibiotics for now. Post-menopausal women are known to have recurring UTIs (urinary tract infection) so we need to find out if there are any issues with her kidneys or bladder. Please help me with a few details as follows:
1. Is she diabetic or hypertensive?
2. Has she had any surgeries in the past?
3. Does she have any trouble passing urine such as urgency, straining to pass urine, increased frequency, or feeling of incomplete bladder emptying?
Please revert with the details so I can suggest you better.
Thank you.
Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
Thank you for your reply. Here are the answers:
1. The E.coli count is 80000 (report attached)
2. She is not diabetic. Her BP is usually around 135 to 140/85
3. No surgeries except a C-section 36 years back.
4. No burning sensations or other typical UTI symptoms.
We got the test done as a routine. A few months back she had bacterial UTI. However, it was misdiagnosed as fungal, and the wrong medicines were given. It turned severe and she was hospitalized for 10 days. Since then all major blood tests and scans were done and nothing unusual was found. Kindly suggest.
Hello,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
Thank you for the details. Like I said before, if she does not have any symptoms she does not need to take any antibiotics. I suggest these two tablets that keep her urine clean- tablet Cranpac (Cranberry and D-mannose) and tablet Econorm (Saccharomyces boulardii) 250 mg every morning for 30 days. Also, follow the following general suggestions:
1. Avoid holding urine for long periods.
2. Drink at least 2.5 liters of water daily.
3. Consume lemon or cranberry juice at least two times a week.
4. Postmenopausal often suffer from shrinking of the vaginal area due to loss of hormones after menopause which decreases the urine speed by shrinking the urethra.
5. I suggest a hormone replacement cream that will improve the tissue quality around the urethra and help reduce the incidence of UTIs in the future- Premarin (conjugated estrogen) cream that should be applied inside the vagina on alternate nights for six months.
6. Also get a uroflowmetry test whenever possible so that I can document her current urine flap speed:
I hope this answers your questions and helps you.
Thank you.
Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!
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