The smell can also be foul from the accumulation of pus, protein decay, and bacteria. UTI affected urine can have a pungent smell caused by the bacterial metabolism of urea into ammonia at the site of infection in the urinary tract. Normal urine will have a faint smell that is not particularly harsh. A Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection can uniquely result in green urine through the production of pyocyanin. The color of UTI affected urine can have a blood-tinged color of red, pink or brown due to the presence of RBCs and/or hemoglobin caused by inflammation and irritation from an active infection. Normal urine color ranges from pale yellow to amber due to the pigment urochrome, a metabolic byproduct of heme. 1 Physical PresentationĮxamination of the physical presentation of urine is an ancient practice that continues to provide valuable information in a modern clinical diagnostic setting.

Symptoms of upper UTIs are more severe and can include acute flank, back or groin pain, dysuria, urgency, fever, chills, nausea, and extreme fatigue. Symptoms of lower UTIs include burning or pain while urinating (dysuria), frequent urge to urinate with little or no volume (urgency), lower abdominal cramping or pain, and possible low-grade fever. Complications can include all UTIs in children, men and pregnant women, renal insufficiency or transplant, diabetes mellitus, physical obstruction, immune compromised patients, etc. 1įurther sub-classifications of UTIs are based on location of the infection, presence or absence of symptoms, and the presence of relevant complicating factors that dramatically increase the patient risk profile. More rarely, infections may be from fungal or viral pathogens that would require alternative treatment strategies. Other bacterial pathogens – including Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, Proteus, and Enterococcus species – are also infrequently implicated. Escherichia coli accounts for about 80-85 percent of all UTIs, followed by Staphylococcus species, accounting for 10-15 percent. UTI impacts both genders, however, women are much more vulnerable due to their anatomy and reproductive physiology. A UTI can involve any part of the urinary system, including the lower urinary tract – urethra (urethritis) and bladder (cystitis) – and the upper urinary tract – ureters (ureteritis) and kidneys (pyelonephritis). Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is among the leading causes for treatment in adult primary care medicine and represents a significant proportion of antibiotic prescriptions.

Gram negative rod uti