A Multidisciplinary Approach to Improving Incidence Rates of UTI at a Post Acute and Long Term Care Setting

Among patients aged 65 and older, urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most common diagnosis for antibiotic use in nursing homes. Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) comprises a large portion of suspected UTI. Older adults are at increased risk of adverse events from unnecessary antibiotic use. However, clinicians find it difficult to distinguish UTI from ASB, especially in older adults who are likely to have chronic lower urinary tract symptoms, neurocognitive impairments, atypical and nonspecific symptoms.