ABSTRACT
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is defined as bacterial invasion of the urothelium resulting in an inflammatory response. It usually presents with symptoms of frequency, urgency, dysuria and haematuria. The presence of fever and flank pain should raise the possibility of pyelonephritis. A relapsed infection is defined as the presence of persistent or recurrent symptoms in spite of antibiotic therapy without resolution by culture at any time during therapy. Recurrent infections are characterized by UTI following resolution of the initial infection as defined by negative cultures. Recurrence may occur as a result of either reinfection or bacterial persistence within the urinary tract. Re-infection is responsible for over 95% of recurrent UTI in women. UTI can be classified as complicated or uncomplicated. Complicated infections are those that are associated with an underlying abnormality in the urinary tract.
