...lack of symptom resolution, increased healthcare expenditure and decreased quality of life for patients.
What are Persistent and Recurrent UTI? Persistent or chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs) are bacterial infections of the urinary tract that are constant and either don't respond to treatment or recur immediately after treatment. Recurrent urinary tract infections are officially defined as three episodes of a UTI in the preceding 12 months or two episodes within the preceding 6 months. Recurrent UTIs can occur either due to reinfection from a new organism or a persistent infection. Both persistent and recurrent UTI can occur with negative standard urine culture tests. Both persistent and recurrent UTI can cause either intermittent or continuous urinary tract symptoms consistent with those of uncomplicated lower urinary tract infection and interstitial cystitis: dysuria, urgency, frequency, nocturia, subrapubic pain etc.
Why are persistent and recurrent UTI often misdiagnosed as IC/ OAB/ UUI?
Misdiagnoses of Interstitial Cystitis, Overactive bladder, Urgency Urinary Incontinence or Bladder Pain Syndrome often occur when patients present with UTI symptoms but have a false negative standard urine culture and/or dipstick urinalysis. In one study, 93% of women diagnosed with IC had a previous diagnosis of UTI but were told their urine culture was negative.