Working aged-women should only be diagnosed with a water infection if they have at least two symptoms, health officials have said. Doctors have been told that they should only give a diagnosis if women under 65 have two “key symptoms” of infection – including a burning pain when passing urine, needing to wee more at night and “cloudy” urine.
New advice on diagnosing urinary tract infections (UTIs) also warns that medics should rule out other causes before diagnosing a UTI. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said that diagnosing UTI’s correctly will “support appropriate management” and reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics.
It also made recommendations on the length of time adults should be put on antibiotics to treat “uncomplicated” bladder infections, also known as cystitis. Women should have a three-day course of antibiotics while men and pregnant women should be prescribed a seven-day course of treatment, Nice said.
