80/f w lethargy and dysuria

I've been feeling very tired recently. Not all the time but most days. I've had this crampy pain in my lower abdomen and it burns when I urinate. I've been seeing my GP for about 15 years for this recurring problem and he usually gives me co-trimoxazole for my urine and it goes away. This time it has not. He put me on another antibiotic (cephalexin) as well but it did not help.
Further Hx: Typical urinary symptoms; frequeny, dysuria++ and nocturia. Nil significant medical history. Well controlled hypertension and longstanding LL oedema. Has been incontinent of urine post uterine prolapse surgery 10 years ago.

Ix: Her last set of bloods and urine tests were done 2/52 ago. They showed:
  • WCC 9.0 (5.4)
  • Urea/Creatininie n.
  • Urine MCS: Leuks 60 (<5). Erythrocytes 150 (<5). Gram + cocci but likely contaminated.
Most women will get a UTI in their lifetime, so this is really common bog standard medicine.


What more would you like to know? What would you look for on examination?

Learning: In women with recurrent UTI's, a daily half dose of trimethoprim (150mg) or cephalexin (250mg) orally at night is useful for prophylaxis.

You would want to learn more about her incontinence. It's not complete incontinence, just a bit of unconscious leakage. There used to be mild urge but it has been controlled by Oxybutynin.

Document that she was alert/communicative/GCS15. Confirm that she has not been having signs of sepsis: fever/chills/rigors/anorexia.


O/E: This patient was lying comfortably. Stable afebrile. No suprapubic tenderness or renal angle tenderness.


Plan: further investigation is indicated. Something is amiss if a patient has been trialled on two antibiotics and still has urinary symptoms.

  • FBE, U&E
  • Urine MCS
  • Ultrasound ?renal pathology and post void residuals.


Outcome: It turns out she had a gram negative bug, Proteous Vulgaris in her urine. Her urine showed Leuks >500 and heavy growth of the bug. Her bloods confirmed her presentation: WCC 10.1, Erythrocytes -ve, CRP n. She's well otherwise and was started on Norfloxacin as per sensitivity testing.

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