Flexible cystoscopy helps find targeted care in recurrent urinary tract infections: Study

Texas: As an office diagnostic technique, flexible cystoscopy can give useful information about the underlying etiology of recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTIs) and enable targeted care in postmenopausal women, says an article published in Urology.

Recurrent urinary tract infections are characterized as "at least three UTIs each year or two UTIs in the past six months." It is a prevalent condition among women under the age of 65, with a one-in-1,000 chance of developing it. As a result, Janett Ordonez and colleagues undertook this research to examine the findings of office flexible cystoscopy in the evaluation and therapy of postmenopausal women with recurring urinary tract infections.

For this study, an independent researcher retrospectively examined flexible cystoscopy (FC) results and associated treatment choices over three consecutive years in an IRB-approved, prospectively kept database of women treated for RUTIs at a tertiary care facility. Demographic information, UTI history, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), diabetes history, prior urological surgeries, coital antibiotic prophylaxis use, sexual activity, urine culture results, antibiotic resistance/allergies, cystoscopy, and treatment plan were all reviewed in the electronic medical record (EMR).