title: [Urinary tract infections in elderly].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Urinary tract infections (UTI) in elderly are frequent and polymorphic clinical symptoms. This is a public health problem both in support and cost they generate.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical and therapeutic aspects of UTI in the elderly.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective study of 50 cases of UTI in the elderly collected in the Internal Medicine Department at Habib Thameur Hospital between January 2002 and December 2006 (Group I). We compared this group to another group of patients aged below 60 years also explored for UTI in the same service and during the same period (Group II).
  
  
  RESULTS
  They were 37 women and 13 men in group I and 41 women and 9 men in the group II. In group I, the average age was 74.10 ± 6.7 years, in group II 43.58 ± 11.26 years. In group I, 35 patients (70%) showed no evidence of suspicion of a UTI on admission. 15 patients (30%) were admitted for suspected UTI. In group II, 36 patients (72%) showed no evidence of suspicion of a UTI on admission. 14 patients (28%) were admitted for suspected UTI. Urological abnormalities underlying the UTI, detected by ultrasound, were more frequent in Group I (40%) than in Group II (12%). Second-line antibiotics, due to the likely resistance of the microorganism, had to be prescribed in 16% cases in Group I vs. 4% of cases in Group II. The evolution under antibiotic treatment was marked by the occurrence of 3 deaths and transition to renal failure in 4 cases for Group I. In Group II, the outcome was favorable in all cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Urinary tract infection is a significant factor in morbidity and mortality in the elderly. Female is much more concerned than male. Clinical manifestations of UTI are often crude and misleading in a pathological and poly polymedicated patient. The preventive arm accounts for most of the management of urinary tract infection in the elderly.
authors.affiliation: Hopital Habib Thameur, Tunis.
authors.forename: Besma
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ben Dhaou Hmaidi
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boussema
authors.forename: Zohra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Aydi
authors.forename: Lilia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baili
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ketari
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ben Rhouma
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lachgar
authors.forename: Ouahida
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cherif
authors.forename: Lilia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rokbani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*