Asymptomatic bacteriuria

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Male urinary system

Vesicoureteral reflux

Not all patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria need treatment. Pregnant women, kidney transplant recipients, children with vesicoureteral reflux, and those with infected kidney stones appear to be more likely to benefit from treatment with antibiotics.

Giving antibiotics to persons who have long-term urinary catheters in place may cause additional problems. The bacteria may be more difficult to treat and the patients may develop a yeast infection.

If asymptomatic bacteriuria is found before a urological procedure, it should be treated to prevent complications. The course of treatment in these cases depends on the person's risk factors.

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Untreated, asymptomatic bacteriuria can lead to a kidney infection in high-risk individuals. In some cases, particularly in those who have had kidney transplants, such infections may lead to the loss of kidney function.

Call your health care provider if the following symptoms occur:

• Difficulty emptying your bladder
• Fever
• Flank or back pain
• Pain with urination

You will need to be evaluated for a bladder or kidney infection.

Review Date: 09/17/2010
Reviewed By: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc., Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).