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Sexual intercourse, painful
Penis pain
Flank pain
Fatigue
Fever
Chills
Vomiting
Mental changes or confusion (Note: in elderly people, mental changes or confusion often are the only signs of a possible urinary tract infection.)

Signs and Tests

Tests generally include taking a urine sample:

A urinalysis commonly reveals white blood cells (WBC) or red blood cells (see also RBC - urine).
A urine culture (clean catch) or catheterized urine specimen may be performed to determine the type of bacteria in the urine and the appropriate antibiotic for treatment.

TESTING IN CHILDREN
Because many children with cystitis have urinary tracts that predispose them to infections, because these infections are usually preventable, and because the long-term consequences of repeated urinary tract infections in children can be severe, many children with cystits need special imaging studies to determine why they got their urinary tract infections.

These studies usually include both an ultrasound of the kidneys and an x-ray taken during urination (called a voiding cystourethrogram or VCUG).

Most experts recommend this evaluation for:

Girls over age 5 with 2 or more urinary tract infections
All boys with their first urinary tract infection
All children with a fever with their urinary tract infection
All children under age 5 with their first urinary tract infection

For a girl's first urinary tract infection, recommendations vary on when a complete evaluation is neccessary.

In young girls, recurrent urinary tract infections may be an indication of a urinary tract abnormality, such as ureterovesical reflux, and should be evaluated by a medical care provider.

In boys, a single urinary tract infection indicates the necessity for evaluation, because urinary tract infections in boys are extremely uncommon in the absence of urinary tract abnormalities.

Ency. home > Disease > U > Urinary tract infection (cystitis)

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