With urinary tract infections being both a burden on the health system and a contributor to antimicrobial resistance, Jonathan Shaw says that advanced diagnostics can play a key role.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) constitute some of the most common bacterial infections treated in the UK. While often perceived as minor and transient, UTIs pose a significant challenge to public health, with rising levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) adding further complexity to an already demanding clinical landscape. The burden of UTIs is felt at every level of the UK’s healthcare system, from general practice to clinical laboratories.
This begs the question, what can be done to help improve the situation? The dominance of UTIs as a clinical target will likely persist, and in a clinical landscape looking to strengthen its antibiotic stewardship, solutions that are cost-effective, accurate and that have a quick turnaround time (TAT) need to be widely available.
This short article will investigate this burden, focusing on: the statistics surrounding UTI analysis; the challenges that our health system faces; and the solutions that could be used to help lessen the burden and improve patient outcomes.
Log in or register FREE to read the rest
This story is Premium Content and is only available to registered users. Please log in at the top of the page to view the full text.
If you don't already have an account, please register with us completely free of charge.