Urological infections and antibiotic management in geriatric patients

Abstract

Both the demographic shift and progress in medicine are resulting in an increasingly longer life expectancy. It is presumed that amean age of 90years will be achieved within the next decade in many countries. Thus, geriatric medicine, which is committed to the specific needs of older, often frail and frequently comorbid patients, is becoming increasingly more important. The prevalence of infections of the genitourinary tract increases with age, simultaneously, a critical and conscious use of antibiotics is required in terms of antimicrobial treatment. The intention of the present review is to make the reader aware of the specific characteristics of urinary tract infections and asymptomatic bacteriuria in the older patient population in terms of epidemiology, spectrum of pathogens and resistance as well as the indications for and performance of antimicrobial treatment.