Abstract

A DETAILED STUDY OF URINARY TRACT INFECTION: A REVIEW

Anjana Butola*, Nisha Agari and S. M. Patil

ABSTRACT

Urinary tract is the body’s drainage system for removing wastes and extra water. The urinary system includes two kidneys, two ureters, a bladder and a urethra. UTI is the microbial invasion of any tissue of the urinary tract, extending from the urethral meets to the renal cortex. Normally, bacteria that enter the urinary tract are rapidly removed by the body before they cause symptoms. Infection of kidneys leads to a more serious condition called pyelonephritis. Adult women are most commonly affected as their urethra is shorter than men and opens nearer to the anus. About 40% of women get at least one attack of cystitis in their lifetime. It is more common in sexually active women, during pregnancy, after surgery and menopause. Urinary retention is also common after surgery, and can increase the likelihood of infection. Additional factors like old age, being female and type of surgical procedure can also increase the chances of infection. Symptoms from a lower urinary tract include painful urination and either frequent urination or urge to urinate (or both); while the symptoms of pyelonephritis include fever and flank pain in addition to the symptoms of a lower UTI. Diagnosis techniques include Voiding Cysto Urethrogram, CT scan, MRI, Radionuclide’s scan etc. It has been observed that different antibiotics can be used for the treatment of UTI. Other than this it is appeared to be a general notation that, by and large, herbal remedies, being natural products are inherently safer than the potent synthetic drugs, which often produce undesirable side effects. Thus it is concluded that combination of herbal formulation with antibiotics are favorable for treating complicated UTIs.

Keywords: UTI, Urethritis, Pyelonephritis, Cystitis.