Urinary tract infection in the elderly.

Urinary infection is very common in elderly populations. Infection is usually asymptomatic, and there is currently no indication for the treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria except before invasive genitourinary procedures. For symptomatic infection the goal of treatment is relief of symptoms, not sterilization of the urine. The choice of antimicrobial for treatment of symptomatic infection will be determined by considerations similar to younger populations. Elderly women presenting with lower urinary tract symptoms are less likely to be cured by antibiotics, particularly short courses of therapy, than younger women. Many aspects of urinary infection in the elderly require further study, including assessment of the impact of morbidity, comparative studies of antimicrobial agents, determination of optimal durations of therapy, and defining situations in which urological investigation will improve patient outcome.