Urinary tract infections: diagnosis and management.

care and represent 1–3 per cent of all GP consultations.1 UTI reflects an infection of any part of the urinary system and can give rise to a wide spectrum of presentations including cystitis (bladder infection) and pyelonephritis (kidney and renal pelvis). Uncomplicated UTI refers to infection of a structurally and functionally normal urinary tract. Complicated UTIs occur in individuals with structural or functional abnormalities of the urinary tract. Upper tract infection may also be considered complicated. Individuals with complicated UTI are prone to persistent infection, recurrent infection and treatment failure. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and Public Health England (PHE) have published guidelines on the diagnosis and management of bacterial UTIs in adult.2–4 Rational use of antibiotics, in the face of increasing antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections such as Clostridium difficile infection, was one of the key drivers for these guidelines.