Lower Urinary Tract Infections Research Articles

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Provide no Guidance on Management of Asymptomatic Bacteriuria within the First Year after Kidney Transplantation

(1) Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most frequent complications in kidney transplant (KT) recipients. Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) may be a risk factor for UTIs and graft rejection. We aimed to evaluate available evidence regarding the benefit of screening and treatment of ASB within the first year after KT. (2) Evidence acquisition: A systematic literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library CENTRAL and Embase. Inclusion criteria were manuscripts in English addressing the management of ASB after KT. The PICO questions concerned Patients (adults receiving a KT), Intervention (screening, diagnosis and treatment of ASB), Control (screening and no antibiotic treatment) and Outcome (UTIs, sepsis, kidney failure and death). (3) Evidence synthesis: The systematic review identified 151 studies, and 16 full-text articles were evaluated. Seven were excluded because they did not evaluate the effect of treatment of ASB. There was no evidence for a higher incidence of lower UTIs, acute pyelonephritis, graft loss, or mortality in patients not treated with antibiotics for ASB. Analysis of comparative non-randomized and observational studies did not provide supplementary evidence to guide clinical recommendations. We believe this lack of evidence is due to confounding risk factors that are not being considered in the stratification of study patients.

Men with lower UTI in primary healthcare. General practitioners' experiences of diagnosis and treatment in relation to clinical guidelines. A qualitative interview-based study.

The incidence of lower urinary tract infection (LUTI) in men visiting primary health care (PHC) is low. Hence, GPs do not diagnose and treat men with LUTI very often. Previous studies have shown that adherence to treatment guidelines regarding LUTI in men is low. There is limited knowledge concerning why guidelines are not adhered to. To gain knowledge on GPs' experiences and concerns when treating men with LUTI, including their use of clinical guidelines. Furthermore, to explore GPs' knowledge and concern regarding antibiotic resistance. A qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with GPs was performed. 15 GPs from seven PHC centres in southern Sweden were interviewed. The interviews were conducted from September 2022 to March 2023. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. A thematic analysis was performed. GPs had limited experience with and felt uncertain when diagnosing male LUTI. Extended examinations could partially relieve this feeling. GPs were well informed about the Swedish treatment guidelines for LUTI in men and felt safe to treat their patients according to the guidelines. However, GPs also acknowledged that guidelines do not cover all situations and need to be individualised. Many GPs feel insecure when diagnosing male LUTI. The relatively low prevalence of this condition in PHC could contribute to this feeling. Clear and instructive guidelines regarding both the diagnostic process and adequate antibiotic choices are important to maintain good quality in the management of LUTI in men.

Intravenous antibiotics for urinary tract infections in children with neurologic impairment.

Children with high-intensity neurologic impairment (HINI) have an increased risk of urinary tract infection (UTI) and prolonged intravenous (IV) antibiotic exposure. To determine the association between short (≤3 days) and long (>3 days) IV antibiotic courses and UTI treatment failure in hospitalized children with HINI. We performed a retrospective cohort study examining UTI hospitalizations at 49 hospitals in the Pediatric Health Information System from 2016 to 2021 for children (1-18 years) with HINI. The primary outcome was UTI readmission within 30 days. Our secondary outcome was the association of hospital-level variation in short IV antibiotic course use with readmission. Readmission rates were compared between short and long courses using multivariable regression. Of 5612 hospitalizations, 3840 (68.4%) had short IV antibiotic courses. In our adjusted model, children with short IV courses were less likely than with long courses to have a 30-day UTI readmission (4.0%, 95% CI [3.6%, 4.5%] vs. 6.3%, 95% CI [5.1%, 7.8%]). Despite marked hospital-level variation in short IV course use (50.0%-87.5% of hospitalizations), there was no correlation with readmissions. Children with HINI hospitalized with UTI had low UTI readmission rates, but those who received long IV antibiotic courses were more likely to experience UTI readmission versus those receiving short courses. While residual confounding may influence our results, we did not find that short IV courses impacted readmission at the hospital level despite variation in use across institutions. Long IV antibiotic courses are associated with risks and may not confer benefit in this population.

Lower Urinary Tract Infections: An Approach for Greek Community Health Practitioners

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) cause a significant infectious burden in the community and demand a coordinated approach from all first-line health professionals. Uncomplicated UTIs refer to infections in non-pregnant females without any underlying localized or generalized pathology, diagnosed through history by the presence of specific local symptoms and in the absence of systemic ones like fever. Uncomplicated UTIs are usually caused by Escherichia coli species; thus, empirical antibiotic treatment can be immediately initiated. A percentage of patients can experience a resolution of symptoms without therapy; however, this “wait and observe” approach is supported only by the relevant British guidelines. There are limited quality studies in the literature on adjuvant treatment options; these can include BNO 145, a phytotherapeutic medicine, and XHP, a medical technology product. Despite being licensed by the European Medicines Agency on the basis of traditional use, there is inadequate support in the medical literature for the use of cranberry extracts and Arctostaphylos uva-ursi extracts. The use of antibiotics is associated with higher response rates and urine culture sterilization as well as lower recurrence/relapse rates; on the other hand, side effect rates are also higher. In choosing the proper empirical antibiotic therapy, one has to take into account individual patient characteristics and community resistance patterns as well as the antimicrobial resistance pressure exerted by the wide use of a specific antibiotic. There is a need for a common framework through which all frontline health practitioners should operate when faced with a case of uncomplicated UTI. In Greece, there are three different guidelines for UTI treatment, developed by the Ministry of Health, the National Organization for Medicines, and the Hellenic Society for Infectious Diseases. The authors of the present study aim at synthesizing these guidelines as well as relevant guidelines from international scientific or other national regulatory organizations while taking into account local resistance patterns. The authors propose the first-line use of either fosfomycin, nitrofurantoin, or pivmecillinam. The use of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole is discouraged due to increased resistance of Greek community E. coli isolates. Fluoroquinolone use should be avoided due to high E. coli community resistance (exceeding 20% for Greece), along with their unfavorable benefit/side effect balance in uncomplicated UTIs, as well as the overall community resistance pressure exerted by their use. A 5-day regimen remains superior to a 3-day one; the latter may be suitable for certain, not yet adequately characterized, patients.

PSA density as a predictor of long-term infectious complications during transurethral resection of the prostate: determining an optimal cut-off value

Introduction. Infectious complications (ICs) after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) are significant and potentially life-threatening conditions with an incidence 0.5% – 20.0%. Most publications provide data regarding early infectious complications. At the same time, there are currently no studies aimed at a comprehensive assessment of long-term infectious complications after TURP. The problem of prevention and treatment of ICs is also accompanied by insufficient understanding of the role of undiagnosed inflammation in prostate tissues and the lack of representative laboratory markers.Objective. To assess the prostate-specific antigen density (PSAd) as a predictor of long-term infectious complications after transurethral resection of the prostate and to determine the optimal cut-off value.Materials & methods. This single-center study included 162 patients who underwent mono- and bipolar TURP between 2016 – 2023. Inclusion criteria for the study: prostate volume 30–80 cm3, no history of urinary tract infections (UTIs) at the time of hospitalization and antibiotic treatment at least one month before surgery, possible presence of latent UTIs before surgery, no prostate cancer. Exclusion criteria were failure to meet inclusion criteria. Infectious complications assessed included upper and lower UTIs, as well as epididymitis, orchitis and prostatitis, confirmed by clinical and laboratory data. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) assessment was performed < 2 days before surgery.Results. The median PSAd value was 0.04 [0.03; 0.08] ng/ml2, the variable was significantly different in non-infection and infection groups (0.04 and 0.08 ng/ml2, respectively, p = 0.009). The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.67 (95% CI [0.546 – 0.791]). The optimal cut-off value of the PSAd in prediction of long-term ICs was > 0.07 ng/ml2, sensitivity / specificity: 58.3% and 76.1%, respectively. The analysis showed more than 4 times higher odds of developing an infectious complication in PSAd > 0.07 ng/ml2 patients: OR 4.3 (95% CI [1.7 – 10.5], p = 0.001).Conclusion. This study demonstrates data that defines a new clinical non-oncological significance of PSAd as a predictor of the development of long-term infectious complications after TURP.

Postoperative Complications After Sling Operations for Incontinence: Is Race a Factor?

Racial and ethnic disparities exist in urogynecologic surgery; however, literature identifying specific disparities after sling operations for stress incontinence are limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate racial and ethnic disparities in surgical complications within 30 days of midurethral sling operations. This retrospective cohort study identified women who underwent an isolated midurethral sling operation between 2014 and 2021 using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Women were stratified by racial and ethnic category to assess the primary outcome, 30-day surgical complications, and the secondary outcome, comparison of urinary tract infections (UTIs). There were 20,066 patients included. Mean age and body mass index were 53.9 years and 30.8, respectively. More Black or African American women had diabetes and hypertension, and more American Indian or Alaska Native women used tobacco. The only difference in 30-day complications was stroke/cerebrovascular accident, which occurred in only 1 Asian, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander patient (0.1%, P < 0.0001). The most frequent complication was UTI (3.3%). Black or African American women were significantly less likely to have a diagnosis of UTI than non-Hispanic White (P = 0.04), Hispanic White (P = 0.03), and American Indian or Alaska Native women (P = 0.04). Surgical complications within 30 days of sling operations are rare. No clinically significant racial and ethnic differences in serious complications were observed. Urinary tract infection diagnoses were lower among Black or African American women than in non-Hispanic White, Hispanic White, and American Indian or Alaska Native women despite a greater comorbidity burden. No known biologic reason exists to explain lower UTI rates in this population; therefore, this finding may represent a disparity in diagnosis and treatment.

Prevalence of Bacterial Urinary Tract Infections and Antimicrobial Sensitivity Among Pregnant Women in Anbar Governorate.

Background: Escherichia coli (E. coli) is recognized to be a prominent source of uropathogens in women worldwide. Urinary tract infection in pregnant women continues to cause clinical issues, which is a significant load on clinicians. Objective: The study aims to investigate the frequency of bacterial urinary tract infections among pregnant women and assess the susceptibility of these pathogens. Method: Urine samples 65 were collected from pregnant women in Anbar Governorate, were identified utilizing colony characteristics the organisms' gram stain response, biochemical assays Susceptibility testing aligns to the standard techniques defined by the Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute guideline. Results: In this study, 95% (60 out of 65) of urinary tract infections (UTIs) were culture-positive. Among the identified bacteria, six distinct types were observed. The most prevalent Gram-negative isolate was Escherichia coli, accounting for 88.3% of cases, followed by Proteus mirabilis at 1.6%. Gram-positive bacteria were also identified, with Staphylococcus aureus representing 6.6% and Streptococcus at 3.3% of cases. E. coli showed resistance to ciprofloxacin (50%), norfloxacin (19%), ceftriaxone (90%), ampicillin (89%), meropenem (10%), and nitrofurantoin (60%). Staphylococcus aureus exhibited resistance to ciprofloxacin (73%), norfloxacin (35%), ceftriaxone (50%), ampicillin (71%), meropenem (8%), and nitrofurantoin (45%). Proteus mirabilis displayed resistance to ciprofloxacin (46%), norfloxacin (16%), ceftriaxone (62%), ampicillin (90%), meropenem (25%), and nitrofurantoin (33%). Streptococcus showed resistance to ciprofloxacin (43%), norfloxacin (54%), ceftriaxone (37%), ampicillin (88%), meropenem (30%), and nitrofurantoin (87%). Conclusion: Majority UTIs were caused by Gram-negative bacteria, especially E. coli. Resistance to ampicillin, nitrofurantoin, and ciprofloxacin was common, while norfloxacin and meropenem showed sensitivity. Regular urine culture during pregnancy is vital to lower UTI risk and antibiotic resistance.

Cefdinir vs cephalexin for the treatment of urinary tract infections: A retrospective evaluation.

In an effort to expedite the publication of articles, AJHP is posting manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time. Cefdinir and cephalexin are cephalosporin antibiotics commonly used in the treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Their efficacy depends on achieving sufficient time with concentrations exceeding the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Despite being frequently prescribed for UTIs, cefdinir has markedly lower urine penetration compared to cephalexin. It is possible that differences in pharmacokinetics could result in dissimilar efficacy between these agents; however, comparative studies of cephalosporins in UTIs are lacking. This was a retrospective comparative study of patients discharged from emergency departments within a community health system with a diagnosis of acute cystitis who were prescribed cefdinir or cephalexin. Treatment failure rates at 7 and 14 days were compared between the 2 agents using a χ2 or Fisher's exact test, as appropriate. There were no differences in overall treatment failure between the cefdinir and cephalexin groups. Treatment failure at 7 days occurred in 11.6% (n = 14) of patients in the cefdinir group and 8.3% (n = 10) of patients in the cephalexin group (P = 0.389). Treatment failure at 14 days was higher for cefdinir at 20.7% (n = 25) than for cephalexin at 11.8% (n = 14), but this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.053). There were no differences in the rate of treatment failure in subgroup analyses of uncomplicated or complicated UTIs. The results of this study suggest that cefdinir and cephalexin have comparable efficacy for the treatment of lower UTIs. While there was a numerically higher rate of treatment failure with cefdinir, there were no significant differences in treatment failure between the agents.

Photochemical inactivation as an alternative method to produce a whole-cell vaccine for uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC).

Lower urinary tract infection (UTI), caused primarily by uropathogenic Escherichia coli, represents a significant health burden, accounting for 7 million primary care and 1 million emergency room visits annually in the United States. Women and the elderly are especially susceptible and recurrent infection (rUTI) is common in those populations. Lower UTI can lead to life-threatening systemic infection. UTI burden is manifested by healthcare dollars spent (1.5 billion annually), quality of life impact, and resistant strains emerging from antibiotic overuse. A safe and effective vaccine to prevent rUTI would address a substantial healthcare issue. Vaccines comprised of inactivated uropathogenic bacteria have yielded encouraging results in clinical trials but improvements that enhance vaccine performance are needed. To that end, we focused on inactivation methodology and provided data to support photochemical inactivation, which targets nucleic acid, as a promising alternative to conventional protein-damaging inactivation methods to improve whole-cell UTI vaccines.

Evaluasi Rasionalitas Penggunaan Antibiotik Infeksi Saluran Kemih Bawah di Rsd Gunung Jati Cirebon Periode Januari–Desember 2022

Urinary tract infection is an infection caused by the presence of microorganisms in the urinary tract, including the prostate bladder. Antibiotics are drugs to treat infections caused by bacteria. Giving antibiotics to people with infectious diseases aims to inhibit the growth or kill microorganisms, especially bacteria that cause disease. The aim of this research is to find out whether giving medication to patients with lower urinary tract infections at RSD Gunung Jati is rational or irrational. This research was carried out in an analytical observational manner using a retrospective research design, namely by taking patient data from medical records and prescriptions for patients suffering from lower urinary tract infections at RSD Gunung Jati, Cirebon City for the period January-December 2022. The number of samples in the study was 85 samples. according to the inclusion criteria. Statistical analysis used in this research is chi-square and mann whitney. The parameters taken in this study were the right dose, the right diagnosis, the right indication, and the right drug. The results of the study showed that lower urinary tract infections were mostly experienced by women, amounting to 58 people (68%), sufferers of lower urinary tract infections were mostly experienced by patients aged 46-55 years, amounting to 22 patients (26%). The drug most commonly received by patients with lower urinary tract infections was cefixime, 49 times (53%). Most patients with lower urinary tract infections were given in single form in 84 people (99%). Patients suffering from lower urinary tract infections most often experienced symptoms of pain when urinating, with 71 patients (47%). The evaluation results showed that the right dose by 96%, the right drug by 100%, the right indication by 100%, and the right diagnosis by 100%. In the statistical analysis, the results showed that the medication given to patients with lower urinary tract infections met the rational requirements and had a significant rationality value.

Comparative Analysis of Microbial Species and Multidrug Resistance Patterns Associated with Lower Urinary Tract Infections in Preterm and Full-Term Births.

The rise of multidrug-resistant organisms has significantly complicated the clinical management of urinary tract infections (UTIs), particularly in the context of pregnancy. This study aimed to identify and analyze the significant differences in microbial species and multidrug resistance patterns associated with UTIs in preterm versus full-term births, determine the bacterial species significantly associated with preterm birth, and describe the antibiotic resistance patterns affecting pregnant women with UTIs. This case-control study was conducted in western Romania and focused on pregnant women with UTIs admitted from 2019 to 2023. Data were retrospectively collected from 308 patients with positive cultures. Statistical analyses, including the Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression models, were employed to compare the proportions of microbial species and resistance patterns between preterm (n = 126) and full-term (n = 182) birth groups and identify factors independently associated with preterm birth. The study found no significant differences in demographic or lifestyle factors between the groups. However, significant differences were observed in several infection and inflammation markers. The median white blood cell count was higher in the preterm group (12.3 vs. 9.1, p = 0.032), and the median C-reactive protein level was significantly higher in the preterm group (18 vs. 7, p < 0.001). The preterm group exhibited a higher incidence of multidrug-resistant organisms, notably ESBL-producing organisms (19.8% vs. 4.4%, p < 0.001) and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (4.8% with p = 0.003). Notably, the resistance to amoxicillin was significantly higher in the preterm group (20.6% vs. 6.6%, p < 0.001). Significant bacterial associations with preterm births included Group B Streptococcus (OR 2.5, p = 0.001) and Enterobacter spp. (OR 1.8, p = 0.022). The study confirmed significant differences in microbial species and multidrug resistance patterns between UTIs associated with preterm and full-term births. The higher prevalence of certain bacteria and increased resistance to commonly used antibiotics in the preterm group underscore the need for tailored antimicrobial therapies and robust microbial identification in managing UTIs during pregnancy.

Urinary Tract Infection and Progression to Pyelonephritis: Group B Streptococcus versus E. coli.

Objective Group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonization of the lower urinary tract in pregnancy is associated with severe infections such as chorioamnionitis, endometritis, and pyelonephritis. The objective of this study was to compare rates of progression to pyelonephritis between GBS and Escherichia coli lower urinary tract infections (LUTIs), as well as compare infectious and obstetric morbidity secondary to these pathogens. Study Design Retrospective cohort of pregnant women with LUTIs (asymptomatic bacteria or acute cystitis [AC]) from a single health system between July 2013 and May 2019. Demographic, infectious, antepartum, and intrapartum data were abstracted from medical records of women with GBS or E. coli LUTI. The primary outcome was progression to pyelonephritis. Secondary outcomes included pyelonephritis-related anemia, sepsis, pyelonephritis length of stay (LOS), median gestational age (GA) at delivery, preterm delivery, and low birth weight (LBW). Logistic regression was used to calculate the adjusted odds of the primary outcome. Results Of 729 pregnant women with urinary colonization, 433 were culture positive for one of the aforementioned bacteria, with 189 (43.6%) having GBS and 244 (56.4%) having E. coli. Women with E. coli were more likely to be younger, use tobacco, have a history of AC, and have a history of preterm birth. Rates of progression to pyelonephritis were markedly higher with E. coli (15.6%) than with GBS (1.1%; p < 0.001). Median LOS for pyelonephritis and pyelonephritis-related morbidities did not differ. Median GA at delivery, preterm delivery, and LBW rates also did not differ. In adjusted analysis, controlling for history of AC, insurance status, tobacco use, prior preterm birth, primary infection type, and maternal age, women with GBS LUTI had markedly decreased odds of developing pyelonephritis in pregnancy compared with those with E. coli (adjusted odds ratio: 0.04, 95% confidence interval: 0.01-0.28). Conclusion Escherichia coli infections progress to pyelonephritis in pregnancy at markedly higher rates than GBS, although obstetric outcomes are similar.

Exploring treatment burden of Oral Nutritional Supplements (ONS) and impact on antibiotics using a data linkage approach

Abstract Introduction Treatment burden associated with thickeners is significant1. Understanding of potential treatment burden associated with ONS is lacking, however wastage due to ONS partial or full nonconsumption, and stock piling are recognised2. Wastage is evidence of over prescribing. Improving fluid intake by increasing variety is evidence based3 - ONS reduces opportunity. Whether thickener or ONS is prescribed, patients can withdraw consent by not drinking (verbally/silently). We investigated a potential correlation between ONS and low intake dehydration, and if detectable using a proxy measure: antibiotic prescribing for urinary tract infection (UTI). We explored using ePACT2 data to investigate co-prescribing of interventions that inter-relate, a type of data linkage study. Improved fluid intake can decrease laxative use, but did not reduce antibiotic use3. We hypothesized that with a large data set, it may be possible to detect associations of treatment burden and antibiotic use. Aim To explore the relationship between prescribing of ONS with antibiotics for UTIs in older adults in Primary Care (England). Methods We investigated co-prescribing of antibiotics prescribed for UTI (nitrofurantoin, trimethoprim) and ONS in older adults (&amp;gt; 65 years) in Primary Care. Data was obtained from the NHS Business Services Authority Data Services Support as bespoke analysis of prescribing ePACT2 data linked by NHS number. Retrospective analysis was performed on anonymised data for 3 years (January 2019 to December 2022). Ethical approval was not required. Data unattributable to a specific region was excluded. Results Initial analysis suggested that prescribing of UTI antibiotics was 3 times more common in older adults prescribed ONS compared with controls (an average 2.86% of the patients on GP list were prescribed an antibiotic for a UTI, increasing to 8.59% for those co-prescribed ONS). This correlation appeared consistent, however, due to high volume and level of detail of UTI antibiotic prescribing, this interpretation is incorrect. On further analysis, the population rate of UTI antibiotic and ONS was plotted to show trend over time, demonstrating no correlation. Prescription of UTI antibiotic over time is consistent, reflecting that acute lower UTI is not very reducible, and antibiotic prophylaxis use is common and repeated monthly. Additionally, from this data set you cannot ascertain if frequency of antibiotic prescription(s) pre-dates initiation of ONS. We did not investigate confounding factors such as co-prescribing of catheter use, gender, frailty and advancing age. Our oldest patients with decreased thirst, reduced appetite cues and ability to eat and drink will also be those most likely to get an UTI. Discussion/Conclusion Future data linkage work in this area should include a wider range of data e.g. detailed demographics, medical and prescribing history over time and all adverse events from low intake dehydration. Exploration of the impact of ONS and thickener prescription on patient experience, perceived treatment burden and the impact on fluid intake would be useful. Audit of shared decision making at initiation and review would also be beneficial in obtaining baseline data on consent at start and throughout duration of prescription.

Incidence of Maternal and Perinatal Morbidity in Sickle Cell Disease and Sickle Cell Trait Patients during Pregnancy

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) patients have a higher risk of maternal and neonatal morbidity during pregnancy than the general population. Pregnancy in SCD is associated with increased metabolic demands, a hypercoagulable state, endothelial dysfunction, severe anemia, and increased vaso-occlusive episodes. We designed a study to retrospectively review the clinical outcomes of pregnant patients with SCD and SCD trait to examine the incidence of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. We hypothesized that SCD patients should have a higher morbidity during pregnancy and SCD trait patients should not have higher morbidity. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study and reviewed 29,822 patient encounters. Pregnant patients with the SCD genotype - Hb SS, Hb S beta 0 thalassemia, Hb S beta + thalassemia and Hb SC disease, and sickle cell trait (SCD trait) - Hb AS were included. Maternal clinical outcome variables for the entire pregnancy duration were vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), infections - sepsis, septic shock, asymptomatic bacteriuria, acute pyelonephritis, and urinary tract infection (UTI), cerebrovascular accident (CVA), myocardial infarction (MI) and transient ischemic attack (TIA). Clinical outcome variables for pregnancy complications were preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and C-section rate. Clinical outcome variables for neonatal complications included preterm birth and low birth weight. ICD 9 and ICD 10 codes were used to search for the pregnancy, SCD, sickle cell trait, maternal and neonatal outcomes. Data was collected from the Health Facts Database, which contains de-identified information from electronic medical records (EMR) of hospitals in which Cerner© has a data use agreement. The categorical clinical outcome variables were analyzed using Chi-square test. Results: There were 29,822 patient encounters reviewed. Patients with SCD had higher percentages for C-section rates, CVA, preeclampsia, sepsis, septic shock, and VOC compared to those with SCD trait. C-section rates were higher in SCD patients with 76.43% versus 13.76% in SCD trait patients. CVA was higher in SCD patients with 73.78% versus 0% in SCD trait patients. Preeclampsia was higher in SCD patients with 75.92% in SCD patients versus 5.43% in SCD trait patients. Sepsis and septic shock were higher in SCD patients with 73.75% in SCD patients versus 0% in SCD trait patients. VOC was evident in SCD patients with 0.06% versus 0% in SCD trait patients. Patients with SCD trait had higher percentages for asymptomatic bacteriuria, GDM, low birth weight, preterm birth, and UTI compared to patients with SCD. Asymptomatic bacteriuria was higher in SCD trait patients with 0.25% versus 0.08 in SCD patients. GDM was higher in SCD trait patients with 3.09% versus 0% in SCD patients. Low birth weight was higher in SCD trait patients with 0.61% versus 0.17% in SCD patients. Preterm birth was higher in SCD trait patients with 0.78% versus 0.44% in SCD patients. UTI was noted in SCD trait patients with 0.02% versus 0% in SCD patients. There were no findings for DVT, PE, acute pyelonephritis, MI, and TIA in both SCD and SCD trait patients. Conclusion: Pregnant patients with SCD were more likely to have C-sections, CVA, preeclampsia, sepsis, septic shock, and VOC. Pregnant patients with SCD trait were more likely to have asymptomatic bacteriuria, GDM, low birth weight, preterm birth, and UTI. Our findings indicate that prevention and management of CVA, preeclampsia, sepsis, and septic shock is important for pregnant patients with SCD to prevent adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. The higher rate of C-sections may have been to reduce the severity of maternal and perinatal morbidity in SCD patients. Our study has significant limitations - retrospective nature and use of ICD9 and ICD10 codes for clinical outcome variables. Certain clinical outcome variables, such as CVA, sepsis or septic shock, may have been overestimated as these diagnoses may have been recorded prior to the start of pregnancy in the EMR. Nevertheless, SCD patients have higher maternal and perinatal morbidity that needs to be addressed.

2843. Risk Factors for Unplanned Healthcare Encounters in Patients Discharged from the Emergency Department with Extended-spectrum β-lactamase Urinary Tract Infections

Abstract Background The management of extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) urinary tract infections (UTIs) in the emergency department (ED) has not been well documented in literature. The purpose of this study was to describe treatment and outcomes of patients with ESBL UTIs in the ED, which can inform best practices for antimicrobial stewardship. Methods This IRB approved, retrospective cohort analysis included patients who were discharged from the ED with an ESBL UTI between January 2020 and November 2022. The primary outcome of interest was any unplanned healthcare encounter related to the UTI within 30 days of the index ED visit, which included phone/virtual visits, clinic visits, ED visits, and hospitalizations. Patients ≥18 years of age treated for symptomatic UTI with a monomicrobial urine culture were included, while those with altered mental status, history of renal transplant, abnormal urinary tract, or were on active antibiotic therapy prior to the ED visit were excluded. Patient characteristics, initial and definitive antibiotic therapy, culture results including pathogen and susceptibilities were described. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify any exposures that were independently associated with unplanned healthcare encounters related to the UTI. Results 162 patients were included; 103 (64%) had an unplanned healthcare encounter. Patient characteristics are depicted in Table 1. Complicated lower UTI was most frequent occuring in 71 patients (44%). Susceptibility data revealed that nitrofurantoin was effective in 121 (75%) patients, aminoglycosides in 117 (72%) patients, TMP/SMX in 66 (41%) patients, and quinolones in 62 (38%) patients. 76 (74%) patients with unplanned encounters received an inactive empiric prescription: β-lactams being prescribed to 52 (51%) patients with cephalexin used for 49/52 (94%). Of the 81 patients with lower UTI, 20 (25%) initially received a prescription for nitrofurantoin. Factors associated with an unplanned healthcare encounter are described in Table 2.Table 2.Factors Associated with Unplanned Healthcare Encounters. Abbreviations: Un-Adj OR = unadjusted odds ratio; Adj OD = adjusted odds ratio Conclusion Patients discharged from the ED with an ESBL UTI were at higher risk for unplanned healthcare encounters if they had CKD or were initially prescribed an oral β-lactam. Prescribing first line therapy with nitrofurantoin for lower UTI is a potential area for improvement. Disclosures Michael Veve, PharmD, MPH, National Institutes of Health: Grant/Research Support|Paratek Pharmaceuticals: Grant/Research Support

Assessing the impact of discordant antibiotic treatment on adverse outcomes in community-onset UTI: a retrospective cohort study.

To investigate the risk of adverse outcomes following discordant antibiotic treatment (urinary organism resistant) for culture-confirmed community-onset lower urinary tract infection (UTI). Cohort study using routinely collected linked primary care, secondary care and microbiology data from patients with culture-confirmed community-onset lower UTI (COLUTI). Antibiotic treatment within ±3 days was considered concordant if the urinary organism was sensitive and discordant if resistant.The primary outcome was the proportion of patients experiencing urinary infection-related hospital admission (UHA) within 30 days. Secondary outcomes were the proportion of patients experiencing reconsultation within 30 days, and the odds of UHA and reconsultation following discordant treatment, adjusting for sex, age, risk factors for complicated UTI, previous antibiotic treatment, recurrent UTI and comorbidities. A total of 11 963 UTI episodes in 8324 patients were included, and 1686 episodes (14.1%, 95% CI 13.5%-14.7%) were discordant. UHA occurred in 212/10 277 concordant episodes (2.1%, 95% CI 1.8%-2.4%) and 88/1686 discordant episodes (5.2%, 95% CI 4.2%-6.4%). Reconsultation occurred in 3961 concordant (38.5%, 95% CI 37.6%-39.5%) and 1472 discordant episodes (87.3%, 95% CI 85.6%-88.8%). Discordant treatment compared with concordant was associated with increased odds of UHA (adjusted OR 2.31, 95% CI 1.77-3.0, P < 0.001) and reconsultation (adjusted OR 11.25, 95% CI 9.66-13.11, P < 0.001) on multivariable analysis. Chronic kidney disease and diabetes mellitus were also independently associated with increased odds of UHA. One in seven COLUTI episodes in primary care were treated with discordant antibiotics. In higher risk patients requiring urine culture, empirical antibiotic choice optimization could meaningfully reduce adverse outcomes.

Explainable AI modelling of Comorbidity in Pregnant Women and Children with Tropical Febrile Conditions

Febrile diseases often exhibit overlapping symptoms, posing a challenge for their differential diagnosis. This challenge is particularly critical in pregnant women and children, where early and accurate diagnosis is vital to mitigate the elevated risk of maternal mortality prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions. Despite the commonality of fever as a symptom, the diverse range of potential co-morbidities necessitates an exploration of associated illnesses. This study employs the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) machine learning algorithm to classify febrile diseases' co-morbidities in pregnant women and children under 5 years. The dataset, comprising 1,350 records from selected health facilities across Niger-delta states in Nigeria, contributes to informed decision-making by physicians, ultimately enhancing healthcare provision. Evaluation results demonstrate the classifier's high precision (0.995) and recall (1.00) for the children dataset, while precision and recall of 1.00 are achieved for the pregnant women dataset. To facilitate model explanation and result interpretation, an eXplainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) approach, specifically the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method, is applied. The summary plot highlights upper and lower respiratory tract infections and malaria as the predominant diseases co-morbidities in children. In contrast, pregnant women exhibit upper and lower urinary tract infections, and malaria as the highest-ranking diseases co-morbidity. These results underscore the potential of ML techniques in accurately classifying febrile conditions' co-morbidities, contributing to the reduction of adverse health outcomes. The study's findings offer valuable insights for healthcare providers, enabling them to deliver more targeted and effective care to these vulnerable populations, thereby enhancing overall well-being.

Bacterial profile and prevalence of urinary tract infections in pregnant women in Latin America: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundGiven the physiological changes during pregnancy, pregnant women are likely to develop recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) and pyelonephritis, which may result in adverse obstetric outcomes, including prematurity and low birth weight preeclampsia. However, data on UTI prevalence and bacterial profile in Latin American pregnant women remain scarce, necessitating the present systematic review to address this issue.MethodsTo identify eligible observational studies published up to September 2022, keywords were systematically searched in Medline/PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, and Bireme/Lilacs electronic databases and Google Scholar. The systematic review with meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, and the quality of studies was classified according to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. The meta-analysis employed a random-effects method with double-arcsine transformation in the R software.ResultsDatabase and manual searches identified 253,550 citations published until September 2022. Among the identified citations, 67 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review, corresponding to a sample of 111,249 pregnant women from nine Latin American countries. Among Latin American pregnant women, the prevalence rates of asymptomatic bacteriuria, lower UTI, and pyelonephritis were estimated at 18.45% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 15.45–21.53), 7.54% (95% CI: 4.76–10.87), and 2.34% (95% CI: 0.68–4.85), respectively. Some regional differences were also detected. Among the included studies, Escherichia coli (70%) was identified as the most frequently isolated bacterial species, followed by Klebsiella sp. (6.8%).ConclusionPregnant women in Latin America exhibit a higher prevalence of bacteriuria, UTI, and pyelonephritis than pregnant women globally. This scenario reinforces the importance of universal screening with urine culture during early prenatal care to ensure improved outcomes. Future investigations should assess the microbial susceptibility profiles of uropathogens isolated from pregnant women in Latin America.Trial registrationThis research was registered at PROSPERO (No. CRD42020212601).

Infections in the first year of living related kidney transplantation in a young transplant cohort

BackgroundInfection after a kidney transplant is a serious cause of morbidity and mortality. Weighing the risks and benefits of immunosuppression is of paramount importance for patient wellbeing and transplant survival.MethodsThis is a prospective observational study exploring the variety of bacterial, viral and fungal infections occurring within the first year of living related kidney transplantation in a young transplant cohort. Fifty-one kidney transplant recipients (KTR) between the age of 18 and 45 who had a kidney transplant between Jan 2020 and Jan 2022 were enrolled and followed up for one year. Primary outcome was the occurrence of infection.ResultsTwenty-four patients (47%) recorded a collective 33 episodes of infection. Seven patients had repeated infections and 17 had single infections. Twenty-seven patients had an uneventful year with no infections recorded. Commonest infection was lower urinary tract infection (UTI) (27.3%) followed by SARS-COV2 and Herpes Zoster (15.2%). The commonest pathogens causing lower UTI were Escherichia coli (E coli) (21.2%) and Klebsiella (18.2%). Median Tacrolimus level was (7.8) ng/ml in KTR with infection and (8.95) ng/ml in KTR without infection, p = 0.21. Median Haemoglobin (IQR) was (10.2) g/dl (7.8–14) gm/dl in KTR with infection compared to (10.8) g/dl (7.3–15.3) in KTR without infection odds ratio (OR) = 0.78, confidence interval (CI) (0.5–1.1); p = 0.16.In KTR with infection 25% had donors above the age of 60 compared to 11% in KTR without infection ( OR 2.6,CI (0.5–12), p = 0.2). Post transplant diabetes (PTDM) occurred in (25%) in KTR with infection compared to those without, but that was not statistically significant p = 0. 365.In KTR without infection, 59.3% had a preemptive transplant compared to 20.8% in the group with infection (OR = 0.18; 95% CI: 0.052–0.631; p = 0.007). Median tacrolimus was 7.8 ng/ml in KTR with single infection compared to 7.7 ng/ml in KTR with repeated infections.ConclusionThis study shows that the commonest infection occurring in the first-year post kidney transplant was lower urinary tract infection followed by SARS-COV2 and Herpes Zoster. There was no difference in trough tacrolimus or haemoglobin levels between KTR who developed infection with those who did not.

Water intake and recurrent urinary tract infections prevention: economic impact analysis in seven countries

BackgroundTo estimate the economic impact of preventing urinary tract infections (UTI) by increasing water intake among women with recurrent UTI and low fluid intake across seven countries: France, United Kingdom, Spain, United States of America, Mexico, China and Australia.MethodsA Markov model was developed to compare costs and outcomes of UTIs associated with low fluid intake in women versus a strategy of primary prevention by increasing water intake. Model inputs were based on randomized controlled trial data which found that increasing water intake by 1.5 L/day decreased the risk of developing cystitis by 48% in women with low fluid intake and recurrent UTI. A time horizon of 10 years was used; outcomes were from the payer perspective and included both direct and indirect costs, reported in 2019 United States dollars ($). Discounting rates varied by country. Scenarios of increasing levels of compliance to the increased water intake strategy were evaluated.ResultsThe total cost of one UTI episode, including diagnostics, treatment and complications, ranged from $2164 (Mexico) to $7671 (Australia). Assuming 80% compliance with the increased water intake strategy over a 10-year time horizon, the number of UTIs prevented ranged from 435,845 (Australia) to 24150,272 (China), resulting in total savings of 286 million (Australia) to $4.4 billion (China). Across all countries, increased water intake resulted in lower cost and fewer UTIs compared with low water intake.ConclusionPreventing recurrent UTIs by increasing water intake would reduce both the clinical and economic burden associated with UTI. Public, healthcare professionals and patients should be made aware about the preventive positive impact of appropriate water intake on UTIs.