The Prevalence of Urinary Tract Infections in Institutionalized vs. Noninstitutionalized Elderly Persons

This review involves the prevalence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in elderly persons in Korea. The global average life expectancy has been increasing due to recent advances in medical technology, economic development, and availability of hygienic environment. UTIs and asymptomatic bacteriuria are common diseases in both genders of all ages, but have been particularly increasing in elderly populations. The common causes of this increase are overactive bladder, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and neurogenic bladder. Institutionalized patients are susceptible to bacterial infections due to urinary incontinence, fecal contamination, and poor perineal hygiene. UTIs are the second most common infection, constituting 25% of all infection occurrences in elderly populations living at home. Several studies involving elderly persons living in the community have reported that the prevalence of UTIs is 0.07/person-year in postmenopausal women, 0.12/person-year in elderly persons with diabetes mellitus, and 0.05/person-year in men. The incidence of UTIs in elderly individuals increases with age, particularly in institutionalized elderly patients compared with those at home. However, no study has compared the prevalence of UTIs between institutionalized and noninstitutionalized elderly persons in Korea. Such comparison and evaluation may help to prevent UTIs in elderly Korean people.