Pseudomonal Urinary Tract Infection

A urinary tract infection (UTI) caused by the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a severe infection that may be acquired in various ways such as swimming in contaminated water or coming in contact with contaminated hospital equipment. This type of UTI rarely affects healthy individuals, but it tends to affect patients whose health is already compromised. Thus, the symptoms often go unnoticed because the patient affected is already battling life-threatening diseases such as cancer. If left untreated, the infection may lead to potentially fatal conditions and death.

Pseudomonas

• Pseudomonas is a group of rod-shaped bacteria that lives in soil and in water. These bacteria cause some diseases in animals, plants and humans. In particular, the Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) causes urinary tract infections, respiratory system infections, gastrointestinal infections and other infections.

Urinary tract infection

• The urinary tract infection is a common bacterial infection that affects the urethra, which is the tube through which your urine passes when you're voiding or urinating. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the causes of complicated or severe UTI. Due to this causative agent, the condition is often called Pseudomonal urinary tract infection.

Symptoms

• The symptoms of Pseudomonal urinary tract infection differ in every individual and may depend on your current physical and health condition. The common symptoms of urinary tract infection, however, include pain in the pelvic area, burning sensation when urinating, discomfort in the lower abdomen, bloody urine and a strong urge to urinate frequently.

Effects

• Because the Pseudomonas bacteria are opportunistic pathogens, the bacteria tend to affect patients with an immunosuppressed condition, such as AIDS and cancer. Thus, the infection can have a detrimental effect on the already seriously ill patient and may eventually lead to urosepsis (fatal urinary infection) and death.

Treatment

• The treatment for Pseudomonal urinary tract infection, as stated in a report of the National Guideline Clearinghouse, encompasses three goals: management of the urological abnormality, antimicrobial therapy and supportive care when needed. The urological abnormality in Pseudomonal urinary tract infection is usually severe and may involve treatment of bladder and kidney complications. The antimicrobial therapy consists of a set of medicines that must be taken in a certain period of time; for instance, a set of antimicrobial drugs must be taken three times a day for two weeks. Moreover, hospitalization is often necessary to prevent the emergence of resistant Pseudomonal strains.