by Rebecca Green
I used to think only women could get urinary tract infections (UTIs), but of course, both men and women get them. Recently I learned urinary tract infections in an elderly man or woman can be very serious. Sometimes, the only symptom of a UTI in older adults is acute confusion; however, such clear symptoms are rare. UTIs in older adults might not involve pain or discomfort at all. “As you get older, your immune response changes; it’s part of normal aging,” explains Anna Treinkman, a nurse practitioner at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago and President of the National Conference of Gerontological Nurse Practitioners.
A sudden change in behavior is one of the best indicators of a urinary tract infection in older adults. Other warning signs might include the onset of urinary incontinence, confusion or not being able to do tasks the patient could easily do a day or two before. “Anytime there’s a change in an older adult, a red flag should go up in a caregiver’s mind,” Treinkman says.
Older adults living in a group setting such as senior communities or nursing homes are more likely to be resistant to the antibiotics most often prescribed for urinary tract infections such as amoxicillin or nitrofurantoin. They may require stronger antibiotics as well as a longer course of antibiotics to combat the infection.
Early treatment of a symptomatic UTI may prevent more serious symptoms and complications and can quite possibly result in a return to the elder’s normal mental status.
Learn more about UTI symptoms, risk factors and preventive measures for seniors by watching two free videos. Both are short (less than six minutes) and provide useful information from Dr. David Talley of Urology San Antonio.
Link to Preventing Urinary Tract Infections: http://msm.mediasite.com/mediasite/Viewer/?peid=793d4838e2104b6087f0d12d5b9f96891d
Link to Signs, Symptoms and Diagnoses of Urinary Tract Infections: http://msm.mediasite.com/mediasite/Viewer/?peid=fd6d5815b20c4019898d6474389719601d
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