Urinary Tract Infections in Long-Term Care Residents

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is common in long-term care (LTC) residents; however, most infections are asymptomatic and do not require treatment. Differentiating asymptomatic from symptomatic UTI is challenging, because LTC residents typically have chronic genitourinary complaints, multiple comorbid illnesses, and communication barriers. Although consensus guidelines have been proposed to improve the accuracy of identifying symptomatic UTIs and minimize treatment of asymptomatic UTIs, diagnostic accuracy is not yet optimized. Strategies for prevention of UTI are unsatisfactory and require further study; nevertheless, there is some evidence for the efficacy of cranberry products and vaginal estrogen to prevent recurrent UTI in women.