Abstract
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common of all bacterial infections. They are an important cause of morbidity and mortality with a spectrum of severity that ranges from mild self-limiting infection to life-threatening systemic disease. Although they are commonly curable with antibiotics, widespread use of antimicrobials has inevitably led to a massive increase in UTIs caused by drug-resistant organisms. This has made antibiotic choice for empirical and rational treatment increasingly difficult. Here, we discuss the microbiology of UTIs, including the organisms that cause them, the interplay between bacteria and host that causes disease, mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, and factors influencing the choice of antibiotic for treatment. Through further understanding of the biology of the bacterial pathogens that cause UTIs, we aim to promote more responsible antibiotic prescribing in order to slow the pandemic spread of multiresistant organisms.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Foxman B. Epidemiology of urinary tract infections: incidence, morbidity, and economic costs. Dis Mon. 2003;49:53–70.
Office of Population Censuses and Statistics. Morbidity statistics from general practice.Fourth national study 1991-92. London: OPCS, 1996.
Ghuysen JM. Serine beta-lactamases and penicillin-binding proteins. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1991;45:37–67.
Marchandin H, Carriere C, Sirot D, Pierre HJ, Darbas H. TEM-24 produced by four different species of Enterobacteriaceae, including Providencia rettgeri, in a single patient. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1999;43:2069–73.
Kliebe C, Nies BA, Meyer JF, Tolxdorff-Neutzling RM, Wiedemann B. Evolution of plasmid-coded resistance to broad-spectrum cephalosporins. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1985;28:302–7.
Branger C, Lesimple AL, Bruneau B, Berry P, Lambert-Zechovsky N. Long-term investigation of the clonal dissemination of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases in a university hospital. J Med Microbiol. 1998;47:201–9.
Stobberingh EE, et al. Occurrence of extended-spectrum betalactamases (ESBL) in Dutch hospitals. Infection. 1999;27:348–54.
Livermore DM, Hawkey PM. CTX-M: changing the face of ESBLs in the UK. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2005;56:451–4.
Hooton TM. The current management strategies for community-acquired urinary tract infection. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2003 Jun;17(2):303–32. Review.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer-Verlag London
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Chiu, C. (2013). Definitions, Classifications, and Antibiotics. In: Rané, A., Dasgupta, R. (eds) Urinary Tract Infection. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4709-1_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4709-1_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-4708-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-4709-1
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)