What Are the Treatments for a Urinary Tract Infection in the Elderly?
Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, are common in older people. When urine remains in the bladder too long, a condition called bladder retention, bacteria are able to grow freely and cause an infection in the bladder or kidneys. Causes of urinary retention in the elderly include physical blockages, loss of tone in the bladder muscles and nerve damage or neurogenic bladder. Bacteria can be introduced into the body by a urinary catheter, often used for elderly people who cannot control the flow of urine; through an infection of the prostate that spreads to the urinary tract; or by poor hygiene practices that spread bacteria from the rectum to the urethra. UTIs can be serious in the elderly if they progress to kidney damage or sepsis.
