Evaluation of microbiological diagnostics in urogenital infections in postmenopausal women

Objective To establish the percentage of infections in postmenopausal women with urianry symptoms which can be confirmed by microbiological analysis, the most common causative agents and whethere the urethra and vagina in patients with cystitis are concurrently colonized by pathogenic microorganisms. Methods Laboratories of the Croatian National Institute of Public Health in Zagreb, in the period of two years, analyzed 245 samples taken from patients with urinary symptoms who had been postmenopausal at least for a year. Urine samples, as well as urethral and vaginal swabs were taken from each patient and tested for causative agents of urogenital infections, genital mycoplasma and Chlamydia trachmatis. Resutls Cystitis was confirmed by microbiological analysis in 31.4% women,urethritis in 24.8% and vaginitis in 15.1%. The most common causative agent of urethritis was Ureaplasma urealyticum, while Gardnerella vaginalis was the most common in vaginal infections. E.coli was concurrently isolated agalactiae was isolaed in urethral and vaginal samples in each patient with Streptococcus agalactiae cystitis. Conclusion Mucosal colonization of the urethra and vagina contributes to the incidence of cystitis in postmenopausal women. Microbiological diagnsotics is necessary to distinguish between the symptoms of ageing of the urogenital system and infection, with a view to preventing unnecessary antibiotic therapy.