Frequency and related risk factors of urinary tract infection in patients undergoing hydrotherapy

Abstract

Abstract To determine the frequency and risk factors of urinary tract infection (UTI) in rheumatic patients treated with hydrotherapy, midstream urine samples before and after 15 days of hydrotherapy were taken from patients hospitalized at Physical Therapy Hospital. The samples were sent to the microbiology laboratory for bacteriological examination. All patients were obtained their symptomatology and risk factors related to UTI. Patients were separated into three groups according to the presence of significant bacteriuriae before and/or after hydrotherapy. Group 1, or the control group, consisted of patients whose cultures were both negative. Group 2 consisted of patients whose first culture was positive for the presence of bacteria. Group 3 consisted of patients whose first culture was negative and second culture was positive. These groups were compared using chi-square or Fisher-exact tests. Groups 1, 2, and 3 consisted of 290, 22, and 7 subjects, respectively. Risk factors for UTI in Group 2 patients were female gender, urinary incontinence, previous frequent UTI, antibiotic use, and previous treatment with balneotherapy. Those for Group 3 patients were presence of urinary incontinence and previous urinary tract surgery. This study revealed that therapeutic mineral pools created a lower risk of UTI in comparison with normal population not using these pools. Individual risk factors for the urethral colonization of uropathogens found in pool water included the presence of urinary pathology and history of urinary tract surgery. While there is a lower risk of UTI in therapeutic pools, clinicians should take into account these two conditions when using hydrotherapy. Key Words: Hydrotherapy, Urinary Tract Infection, Risk Factors DOI: 10.12973/ejms.2014.103p