18 Feb 2023 • The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published three new and two updated quality standards in urinary tract infections (UTIs). The new quality standard includes five statements and replaces an earlier quality standard published in 2015. They are as follows :

• Women aged under 65 years are diagnosed with a UTI if they have 2 or more key urinary symptoms and no other excluding causes or warning signs.
• Adults with indwelling urinary catheters do not have dipstick testing to diagnose UTIs.
• Men and non-pregnant women are not prescribed antibiotics to treat asymptomatic bacteriuria.
• Non-pregnant women with an uncomplicated lower UTI are prescribed a 3-day course of antibiotics, and men and pregnant women with an uncomplicated lower UTI are prescribed a 7-day course of antibiotics
• Men with a recurrent UTI, and women with a recurrent lower UTI where the cause is unknown or a recurrent upper UTI are referred for specialist advice

The new quality standard also says the prevalence and frequency of UTI’s should be measured accordingly:

• The number of episodes of a suspected UTI should be recorded in the patient’s records.
• Recurrent UTIs should be recorded in the patient’s records.

Dr Paul Chrisp, director of Centre for Guidelines at NICE said: “The standard will also help ensure that people are not misdiagnosed. By setting out clear methods for the diagnosis of UTIs, it will help limit the prescription of unnecessary antibiotics which may increase anti-microbial resistance to certain treatments.”

Source: NICE | Read full story