The association of bacteriuria with resident characteristics and survival in elderly institutionalized men.
Ninety-one elderly male residents of a skilled nursing facility were classified as nonbacteriuric (41%), intermittently bacteriuric (34%), or continuously bacteriuric (25%) on the basis of urine cultures obtained over a 3-year period. Bacteriuric and nonbacteriuric residents were similar in age, number of diagnoses and medications, and mobility. However, bacteriuric residents were more frequently confused or demented, whether continuously bacteriuric (78%) or intermittently bacteriuric (62%) compared with nonbacteriuric residents (42%) (p less than 0.04). In addition, bacteriuria was significantly associated with incontinence of bladder (96% of continuous, 66% of intermittent, and 25% of nonbacteriuric; p less than 0.001) and bowel (52%, 39%, and 5.5%, respectively; p less than 0.002). At 6 years of follow-up there were no differences in survival among the three groups. Urinary tract infection caused or contributed to only two (2.9%) deaths. Thus, in this population, bacteriuria was associated with higher functional disability but not with increased mortality.
D000368:Aged; D001437:Bacteriuria / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003221:Confusion / Q000150:complications; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000150:complications; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization; D008297:Male; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000150:complications