Answers:
i) Not necessarily - urinary catheters will become colonised with organisms within 48hrs to 1 week of insertion
ii) Treatment not indicated unless the patient is unwell
3) Laboratory report on 72yr old male with long term indwelling urinary catheter.
WHITE CELL COUNT 20-30 / hpf
RED CELL COUNT 50/hpf
Squamous cells 0 / hpf
Culture:
Enterobacter cloacae >100,000 cfu /ml
Enterococcus faecalis <10,000 cfu/ml
Antibiotic sensitivities:
Enterobacter cloacae sensitive to ciprofloxacin and gentamicin only
Enterococcus faecalis sensitive to ampicillin
i) Does the patient have an urinary tract infection?
ii) Does the patient require treatment with antibiotics and if so which one and for how long?