Subclinical Urinary Tract Infection

You have all the symptoms of a urinary tract infection: frequent, painful urination; lower abdominal pain; and cloudy urine. Yet a urinalysis comes back negative for an infection. Your health care provider may determine that you are suffering from a subclinical urinary tract infection, or a UTI, that is not detected by urinalysis.

Definition

• In layman's terms, a subclinical urinary tract infection is one not detected by urinalysis. The infection typically includes all of the urinary tract, which includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. UTIs occur when bacteria enters the urinary system and are often caused by e. coli, which exists in the colon. UTIs are common, especially in women. Symptoms include painful urination, a burning sensation when urinating, frequent urges to urinate, cloudy or foul-smelling urine, pain or pressure in the lower abdomen, lower back pain, fever, fatigue and nausea.

Diagnosis

• UTIs are usually diagnosed by urinalysis, which is a test for abnormalities in urine, though it does not always detect them. Sometimes, UTIs cause symptoms before abnormalities show up in the urine. Furthermore, the abnormalities may not be present in the urine continuously, meaning that a test performed during a period of the day when there are few abnormal cells or substances present will come back negative.
  Highly diluted urine, which can be the result of drinking a lot of water or other liquids, may also cause a negative test result when a UTI actually exists.
  When a UTI is suspected but urinalysis is negative for abnormalities, a health care provider may order other tests or opt for treatment in lieu of tests.

Treatment

• Subclinical UTI is treated in the same manner as a UTI diagnosed by urinalysis or other test and often includes antibiotics, in most cases sulfa drugs, if the patient has no known allergy to such products. Other antibiotics may be substituted for those with sulfa allergies. A health care provider may also prescribe or recommend an over-the-counter medication for pain or burning during urination.
  In addition, health care providers often instruct patients to make lifestyle changes that will also assist in the recovery, such as drinking plenty of water, taking showers instead of baths, and, for women, offer specific instructions about the use of birth control and feminine hygiene products.

Causes

• Often, the causes of UTIs are not fully understood. However, they may be a result of other conditions, such as kidney or bladder stones or urinary tract abnormalities.
  Women, who are more prone to UTIs, may develop these infections after sexual intercourse or when using topical spermicides or feminine hygiene products, both of which can enter the urinary tract and cause irritation.

How Can I Prevent Subclinical UTIs?

• If you have frequent UTIs, talk to your doctor about other conditions that may be causing the infections or about lifestyle changes you can make that will reduce your chances of developing UTIs.