A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection that begins in the urinary system. Serious consequences can occur if the infection spreads to the kidneys. Women are most at risk of developing a UTI. In fact, half of all women will develop a UTI during their lifetimes, and many will experience more than one. When treated promptly and properly, UTIs rarely lead to complications. But left untreated, a urinary tract infection can become something more serious than a set of uncomfortable symptoms. Untreated UTIs can lead to acute or chronic kidney infections (pyelonephritis), which could permanently damage kidneys. Young children and older adults are at the greatest risk of kidney damage due to UTIs because their symptoms are often overlooked or mistaken for other conditions. Women who have UTIs while pregnant may also have an increased risk of delivering low birth weight or premature infants.
UTIs are generally treated with antibiotics as a first line of treatment. Drugs most commonly recommended for simple UTIs include amoxicillin (Amoxil, Trimox), nitrofurantoin (Furadantin, Macrodantin), trimethoprim (Proloprim) and the antibiotic combination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra). For severe UTIs, hospitalization and treatment with intravenous antibiotics may be necessary. However, many antibiotic resistant bacteria are present in the environment, especially in hospital and other health care settings. Thus, additional treatments for UTIs are needed.